MOttRNSUNDMSCl. 


CJJARLFS  FOSTER  KENT 
EDITOR 


PRANIdJN :  McEl.FRESIi 


BV  1530  .M3  1914 
McElfresh,  Franklin. 
The  training  of  Sunday 
school  teachers  and 


illoliern  ^unbap  ^cfjool  i$lanua\^  "    ^° 

Edited  by  CHARLES  FOSTER  KENT  in 
Collaboration  with  JOHN  T.  McFARLAND 


^ncAL  sy 


The  Training  of  Sunday  School 
Teachers  and  Officers 


McE 


FRANKLIN  McELFRESH 


Secretary  of  the  Committee  of  Education 
International  Sunday  School  Association 


NEW   YORK:   EATON  &   MAINS 
CINCINNATI:  JENNINGS  &  GRAHAM 


CopjTight,  1914,  by 
FRANKLIN  McELFRESH 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

I.  The  New  Demands  upon  the  Sunday  School 

Teacher 1 

II.  The  Aims  and  Present  Status  of  Teacher 

Training 12 

III.  Training  the  New  Recruits 23 

IV.  Training  Teachers  Already  Enlisted  in  the 

Service 37 

V.  Training  by  Schools  of  Methods,   Corre- 
spondence, AND  Graded  Union 50 

VI.  The  City  Institute  or  Training  School.  ...     63 
VII.  Training  for  Work  in  the  Country  Sunday 

School 72 

VIII.  The     College     Training     for     Religious 

Leadership 87 

IX.  The  Training  op  the  Elementary  Teacher.  .     98 
X.  The   Training   of  the   Teacher   of  Junior 

Pupils 112 

XI.  The  Training  of  the  Teacher  of  Girls 124 

XII.  The  Training  of  the  Teacher  of  Boys 134 

XIII.  The   Training   of  the   Teacher   of  Senior 

Pupils 146 

XIV.  The    Training    of    the    Teacher    of    the 

Women's  Class 158 

XV.  The  Training  of  the  Teacher  of  the  Men's 

Class '169 

XVI.  The  Training  of  Officers 182 

XVII.  The    Training    of    the    Minister    for    the 

Sunday  School " 195 

XVIII.  The  Next  Step  in  Teacher  Training 208 

Appendix 220 


THE  NEW  DEMANDS  UPON  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 
TEACHER 

The  Magnitude  of  the  Demand.  Three  hundred 
thousand  new  teachers  and  officers  will  be  enlisted 
within  the  coming  year  in  the  ranks  of  Sunday 
school  workers.  Many  of  these  are  young  men 
and  women  of  education,  but  many  more  are 
urged  into  service  with  little  information  or 
training  for  the  duties  before  them.  While 
many  training  schools  and  classes  are  offered 
them  through  the  varied  agencies,  denominational 
and  interdenominational,  yet  all  of  these  united 
fail  to  meet  the  need  for  a  trained  teaching  force. 
Even  were  all  of  these  new  teachers  well  equipped, 
they  are  not  sufficient  for  the  great  work.  A  full 
half  million  are  needed  to  meet  the  responsibilities 
pressing  upon  the  churches  for  the  religious  teach- 
ing of  childhood  and  youth.  Within  the  last 
three  years  there  has  been  an  increase  of  one 
million  in  enrollment  in  North  America,  and  even 
this  number  could  be  enlarged  by  hundreds  of 
thousands  if  a  sufficient  number  of  competent 
teachers  would  answer  the  call  of  the  Church. 
Childhood,   quickened  by   all   the   alertness   and 

I 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

eagerness  of  the  modern  life,  stands  eager  and 
expectant  at  the  door  of  the  Sunday  school.  Boy- 
hood and  girlhood,  trained  in  the  freedom  of  the 
spirit  of  the  day,  are  willing  to  enter  when  we 
offer  them  the  friendships  and  leaders  that  appeal 
to  their  restless  hearts.  Men  and  women  turn 
to  the  Sunday  school  as  never  before.  The  adult 
classes  must  find  social  and  intellectual  leader- 
ship which  will  put  them  face  to  face  with  life's 
problems  in  a  way  to  command  their  deepest 
loyalty,  or  they  will  turn  back  again.  The  Sunday 
school  of  the  past,  with  its  great  services  and  its 
noble  spirit,  cannot  command  the  situation  of 
to-day.  United  Protestantism  must  awake  to  the 
fact  that  the  old  order  has  changed,  giving  place 
to  the  new. 

A  World-Wide  Demand.  A  recent  editorial  in 
the  Sunday  School  Journal  says :  ''Nor  is  the 
movement  confined  to  our  own  country.  In 
England  there  is  an  agitation  in  favor  of  better 
church  schools  through  the  gradual  waning  of 
religious  education  in  the  day  schools.  The 
Bishop  of  London  has  recently  issued  a  manifesto 
on  this  subject,  and  the  London  Times  has  taken 
the  matter  up,  being  clearly  impressed  that  the 
complete  command  of  the  educational  machinery 
of  the  public  schools  once  possessed  by  the  Estab- 
lished Church  has  gone  forever.  We  are  behold- 
ing the  striking  phenomenon  of  this  great  secular 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

newspaper  (perhaps  the  greatest  in  the  world) 
calling  on  the  people  of  the  Church  to  arouse  and 
undertake  with  enthusiasm  the  work  of  teacher 
training  and  Sunday  school  organization.  It 
says :  'Church  people  must  be  prepared  to  spend 
money  on  their  Sunday  schools.  Besides  the 
expenses  incident  to  the  improvement  of  the 
plant,  the  preparation  and  printing  of  syllabuses, 
and  other  necessary  literature,  there  must  be 
found  adequate  stipends  for  qualified  inspectors 
or  instructors,  and  possibly  for  a  nucleus  of  fully 
trained  professional  teachers.  The  zeal  and  devo- 
tion of  amateurs,  upon  which  the  Church  has 
hitherto  relied  for  her  Sunday  schools,  is  no 
longer  sufficient  in  itself.'  It  is  felt  in  England 
that  there  is  to  be  a  forward  movement  for  better 
schools  all  along  the  line,  and  that  the  Free 
Churches  are  ready  for  it  now.  We  have  seen 
this  coming  for  years,  and  are  more  than  ready  to 
welcome  it.  We  are  glad  to  know  that  there  is 
an  awakening  in  the  mother  country  as  well. 
When  'The  Thunderer'  begins  to  hurl  its  big 
bolts,  something  has  begun.  A  grand  overhaul- 
ing and  reenforcement  of  the  whole  work  of  reli- 
gious education  would  do  more  for  our  churches 
in  this  country,  and  for  the  country  itself,  than 
any  other  work  that  we  might  undertake." 

The  Educational  Demand.    "The  most  important 
phase  of  education  is  now  left  to  the  Church  and 

5 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

the  home/'  says  Monroe,  ''neither  of  which  is 
doing  much  to  meet  the  demand."  The  return 
of  education  to  the  Church  in  recent  years  past 
has  found  it  unprepared  for  so  great  a  responsi- 
bility. Neither  the  ministry  nor  the  laity  has 
been  ready  for  this  task.  Men  and  women  have 
entered  upon  the  work  of  teaching  with  great 
eagerness,  and  noble  results  have  been  attained. 
But  the  loss  and  waste  from  neglect  and  ineffi- 
ciency have  been  far  be3"ond  our  reckoning.  Now 
the  effort  is  being  made  to  do  this  work  in  a  truly 
educational  way.  Great  wisdom  and  energy  are 
required  to  organize  the  school  to  meet  its  full- 
est possibilities  and  to  train  officers  and  teachers 
to  real  fitness  for  this  service.  "Of  all  subject 
matters,"  says  Professor  Home,  "religion  is  both 
the  most  important  and  the  worst  taught;  most 
important  because  it  brings  men  into  relation 
with  the  most  real  Being;  worst  taught,  perhaps, 
both  because  least  understood  and  requiring  most 
from  the  teacher.  The  opportunity  confronting 
the  Sunday  school  is  unique  among  educational 
institutions." 

The  Graded  Lessons.  The  attempt  to  adapt  the 
lesson  material  to  the  age  and  spiritual  need  of 
the  pupil  is  the  most  significant  response  of  the 
Church  in  recent  years  to  the  educational  demand. 
The  success  of  these  lessons  has  been  beyond  the 
hope  of  their  friends,  and  their  practical  use  is 

4 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICEKS 

creating  a  uew  educational  standard  throughout 
all  types  of  schools  and  in  all  sections  of  the 
country,  and  yet,  while  the  principle  is  almost 
universally  accepted,  the  one  great  hindrance  is 
the  need  of  the  graded  teacher.  This  better  food 
for  the  child's  religious  want  is  often  denied 
because  teachers  cannot  be  found  ready  to  use 
the  Graded  Lesson  system,  and  in  many  schools 
where  the  lessons  have  been  introduced  they  have 
been  dropped  because  the  teachers  were  not  pre- 
pared to  use  them  with  skill  and  thoroughness  to 
insure  success. 

The  Challenge  of  the  Western  States.  The 
demand  for  a  higher  educational  standard  is  put 
in  a  concrete  form  in  two  of  the  Western  States. 
The  leaders  in  education  face  the  need,  becom- 
ing more  plainly  evident  everywhere,  of  moral 
education  among  high-school  students.  In  North 
Dakota,  in  response  to  the  action  of  the  State 
Teachers'  Association,  credit  in  the  high-school 
course  is  offered  for  Bible  study  which  may 
be  pursued  in  the  Sunday  school.  The  exam- 
ination is  given  by  the  State.  In  Colorado 
also  the  State  Teachers'  Association  has  taken 
action  favorable  to  high-school  credit  for  Bible 
study  work  done  outside  the  school;  but  if 
this  work  be  done  in  the  Sunday  school,  they 
demand  that  the  teaching  be  of  as  high  grade 
as    that    in    the    high    school.      The    high-school 

5 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

teacher  in  Colorado  must  have  an  education 
equivalent  to  a  college  degree.  This  is  at  once  a 
challenge  and  an  opportunity,  for  many  States 
are  looking  upon  these  experiments  with  great 
interest  and  are  ready  to  adopt  some  like  methods 
if  these  prove  successful.  It  is  a  demand  upon 
the  Sunday  school  to  provide  a  teaching  force 
whose  work  shall  be  on  a  level  with  the  best  high- 
school  instruction  and  it  is  an  opportunity  to 
give  Bible-teaching  a  new  dignity  and  an  impor- 
tance because  it  has  both  the  approval  of  the  State 
and  the  sanction  of  the  Church.  The  striking 
feature  in  the  discussion  in  both  these  States  is 
the  criticism  of  the  Sunday  school,  made  in 
friendly  spirit,  by  the  leaders  of  education.  They 
have  spoken  sternly  of  the  slack  and  easy  methods 
characteristic  of  the  Sunday  school  teaching  and 
have  been  earnest  in  the  demand  that  it  should 
be  elevated  to  an  efficiency  comparable  with 
public  education. 

The  Greatest  Need  of  the  Church  To-day.  From 
the  oldest  centers  of  religious  teaching  in  our 
Eastern  cities  to  the  frontiers  of  the  mountain 
States  one  demand  arises  above  all  others  in  the 
churches:  the  call  comes  for  trained,  efficient 
teachers  to  direct  the  religious  education  of  our 
children  and  youth.  Within  a  few  rods  of  the 
spot  where  Horace  Bushnell  did  his  lifework  a 
man  coming  from  a  convention  said,  ''It  is  well 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

enough  to  talk  about  trained  teachers,  but  with 
us,  we  are  glad  to  get  anybody."  Within  sight 
of  the  place  where  Jonathan  Edwards  preached 
his  famous  sermons,  a  Sunday  school  leader,  a 
widely  known  layman,  said,  ''Three  out  of  four 
of  our  teachers  are  not  the  ones  we  would  choose ; 
but  we  must  take  whom  we  can  get."  There  is  no 
place  in  all  education  where  the  gap  between  the 
possible  service  and  the  actual  work  is  as  wide  as 
in  the  Sunday  school.  Moreover,  conditions  in 
the  social  and  educational  world  are  changing  so 
rapidly  that  the  demand  of  to-morrow  will  be  far 
more  urgent  than  it  is  to-day. 

The  Fatal  Omission.  Religion  left  out  of  edu- 
cation will  be  left  out  of  character.  If  we  expect 
religious  knowledge  and  Christian  faith,  we  shall 
not  get  them  simply  because  our  children  study 
chemistry.  We  shall  have  as  a  race  marked  abil- 
ity only  where  we  have  strong  training.  Wher- 
ever there  is  constant  neglect  and  omission  there 
will  be  weakness  and  indifference  in  later  life. 
The  powers  which  demand  expression  in  the  child, 
and  are  denied  their  natural  right,  become  blood- 
less by  disuse.  We  have  elementary  schools  in 
which  even  the  singing  of  Christmas  songs  is 
challenged.  We  have  States  in  which  the  Bible 
cannot  be  read  in  the  schools,  even  as  literature. 
We  have  splendid  high  schools  where  people  do 
not  know  even  the  names  of  the  great  Bible  char- 

7 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

acters.  We  have  universities  in  whicli  philosoplij' 
is  taught  from  Plato  to  Bergson,  and  the  words 
of  Jesus  are  excluded.  We  have  colleges  in  which 
literature  is  taught  from  Homer  to  Browning, 
but  Isaiah  and  Luke  cannot  be  admitted.  Shall 
we  not  agree  with  President  Eliot  that  intellec- 
tual training  is  no  guarantee  of  character?  "Fifty 
years  ago,"  said  Professor  William  James,  "the 
schools  were  supposed  to  free  us  from  crimes,  but 
we  do  not  indulge  in  any  such  sanguine  hopes  to 
any  extent  to-day.  The  intellect  is  the  servant  of 
our  passions,  and  sometimes  education  only 
makes  the  person  more  adroit  in  carrying  out 
these  impulses." 

The  one  question  that  above  all  others  con- 
fronts Americans  to-day  in  politics,  in  business, 
in  the  field  of  labor,  and  in  social  relations  is  the 
moral  issue.  The  moral  integrin'  of  the  city,  the 
family,  the  business  world,  and  the  social  order 
is  the  supreme  problem.  We  as  Christians  agree 
that  moral  character  is  primarily  determined  by 
religious  convictions  and  motives.  These  are 
largely  the  result  of  education,  hence  the  educa- 
tional conditions  in  America  to-day  are  a  chal- 
lenge to  the  best  Christian  manhood  and  woman- 
hood. They  challenge,  first,  the  home,  then  the 
Church.  They  demand  a  teaching  body  in 
numbers,  in  skill,  in  intelligence,  and  in  convic- 
tion   fully    equal    to    the    truly    heroic    task    of 

8 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 


training  the  rising  generation  so  tliat  it  will  be 
truly  Christian. 

Return  to  Teaching.  What  does  this  demand 
imply?  A  recognition  by  the  ministry  and  lead- 
ers of  the  churches  that  the  day  has  come  to 
establish  real  schools  for  religious  teaching.  Prot- 
estantism has  allowed  the  ancient  function  of 
the  lay  religious  teacher  to  fall  into  neglect.  It 
has  stood  in  the  forefront  of  intellectual  progress. 
It  has  debated  all  great  problems  of  the  age  with 
open  mind.  It  has  rightly  magnified  the  work 
of  the  preacher.  It  has  been  creative  and  aggres- 
sive in  thought;  but  it  has  neglected  the  teaching 
of  religion.  The  Roman  Church  grows  rapidly 
to  the  utmost  frontiers  because  it  has  been  true 
to  the  child.  Mormonism,  with  its  grotesque 
claims  to  divine  origin,  spreads  fast  even  in  the 
intelligent  communities  of  the  West  because  it 
is  true  to  the  principle  of  teaching.  Protestant- 
ism, with  all  its  culture  and  freedom,  falters  in 
the  great  race  because  it  has  neglected  the  child 
and  failed  to  recognize  the  preeminent  impor- 
tance of  the  religious  teacher. 

The  noble  ideal  of  voluntary  service  has  been 
both  the  strength  and  the  weakness  of  the  Sun- 
day school.  Teaching  has  been  regarded  as  a 
duty  that  anybody  might  assume  or  anyone  might 
neglect.  Many  noble  men  and  women  have  made 
this  divine  task  a  matter  of  conscience,  but  in 

9 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

order  to  fill  the  ranks  many  careless  and  unpre- 
pared teachers  have  been  pressed  violently  into 
the  service  of  the  Sunday  school.  The  result  has 
been  loss  of  respect  for  religious  teaching  and 
many  sad  failures  in  its  practice.  The  Protestant 
ministry,  hearkening  to  the  stern  demand  for 
preaching,  occupied  with  the  task  of  organiza- 
tion, distracted  by  frequent  changes  of  pastorate, 
has  too  often  regarded  the  teaching  and  the 
school  as  comparatively  unimportant  institutions 
of  the  Church.  Such  neglect  is  no  longer  possible 
to  the  minister  who  surveys  his  field  and  measures 
his  forces. 

The  Dignity  of  This  Demand.  This  is  the  call 
for  leaders,  for  strong  men,  for  young  men  of 
education.  It  is  the  call  to  the  woman  in  her 
new  day  of  opportunity.  No  waste  scatters  such 
woeful  disasters  as  neglect  and  incompetence  in 
religious  teaching.  No  conservation  of  resources 
nurtures  such  riches  as  the  preservation  of  the 
spiritual  nature  of  the  child.  These  are  days  of 
doubt,  times  of  unrest,  an  age  of  luxury;  the 
problems  are  stern.  The  very  fiber  and  heart  of 
American  life  are  in  danger  of  moral  degeneration. 
Are  the  lay  teachers  of  religion  broad  enough  and 
strong  enough  to  meet  the  crisis  ?  Can  they  teach 
the  Bible  in  the  full  light  of  modern  scholarship 
with  a  loving  reverence?  Can  they  interpret 
social   living,    amid   the   fierce  struggles   of   the 

10 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

present  daj,  in  the  spirit  of  Christ?  Then  only- 
can  they  mold  the  new  type  of  Christian  char- 
acter :  the  man  of  clear  faith  in  God  who  sees  this 
world  as  the  kingdom  of  Christ.  Religious 
teachers  with  this  strength  and  skill  will  give  to 
America  its  Christian  masters. 


11 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 


II 

THE  AIMS  AND  PRESENT  STATUS  OF  TEACHER 
TRAINING 

The  Leader.  Dr.  H.  M.  Hamill  is  authority  for 
facts  regarding  the  early  history  of  the  teacher- 
training  movement.  In  1857  John  H.  Vincent,  a 
pastor  at  Joliet,  Illinois,  organized  the  first  dis- 
tinctively teacher-training  class  in  America.  At 
that  early  date  he  called  the  attention  of  the 
pastors  of  Chicago  and  the  Central  West  to  the 
need  and  possibility  of  the  trained  teacher.  A 
little  later  there  was  a  diminution  of  interest  on 
account  of  the  Civil  War,  as  there  was  in  all 
matters  affecting  the  Church  and  Sunday  school. 
The  first  institute  was  held  at  Freeport,  Illinois, 
and  another  in  Detroit,  Michigan,  in  1861.  In 
1864  Dr.  Vincent  appeared  before  the  Cook 
County  Sunday  School  Association  and  urged 
the  formation  of  a  permanent  Sunday  School 
institute  for  the  Northwest,  to  be  called  the 
Northwest  Sunday  School  Institute.  His  sugges- 
tion was  adopted,  and  in  the  winter  following, 
in  Chicago,  a  course  of  lectures  was  given.  The 
same  year  R.  G.  Pardee,  one  of  the  Sunday  school 
pioneers,  with  Ralph  Wells,  held  an  institute  in 
New  York. 

12 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

The  First  Normal  Class.  In  1876  a  committee 
composed  of  representatives  of  ten  denomina- 
tions formed  the  Chautauqua  Sunday  School 
Normal  Lesson  Course.  The  Teacher  Training 
Assembly  hekl  its  first  session  at  Chautauqua  in 
August,  1874.  It  was  called  the  Sunday  School 
Teachers'  Assembly.  For  three  years  it  was  held 
annually  for  two  weeks,  with  a  course  of  forty 
lessons  and  everything  necessary  to  make  a  most 
excellent  course.  In  1884  the  Assembly  Normal 
Union  was  organized.  Books  were  issued  and  a 
definite  attempt  made  to  standardize  and  unify 
the  work  of  teacher  training.  The  Chautauqua 
Assembl}',  having  grown  strong,  took  up  the 
Normal  Union  course.  It  was  issued  in  two 
books,  comprising  a  four  years'  course.  Diplomas 
were  issued  and  much  was  done  to  extend  the 
work  throughout  the  United  States  and  Canada. 
This  movement  has  been  greatly  honored,  and  is, 
in  a  sense,  the  real  mother  of  teacher  training  in 
the  United  States.  In  1886,  at  Rockford,  backed 
by  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Illinois  Sun- 
day School  Association,  a  Normal  Department 
was  organized  and  Dr.  H.  M.  Hamill  was  put  in 
charge.  It  was  the  first  Sunday  School  Associa- 
tion in  the  world  to  establish  a  distinctive  Normal 
Department. 

It  is  very  interesting  in  this  connection  to 
note  the  recommendations  published  by  John  H. 

13 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

Vincent  in  1866  regarding  a  course  of  study  in 
institutes  and  normal  classes: 

"First:  A  series  of  about  fifty  exercises,  to 
extend  through  one  or  two  years,  as  circum- 
stances may  determine,  as  follows: 

"1.  Five  lectures  by  a  professional  and  expe- 
rienced teacher  on  the  principles  and  art  of  teach- 
ing. 

"2.  Ten  lectures  on  the  Bible,  its  history, 
writers,  inspiration,  original  languages,  style, 
evidences,  etc.,  with  some  simple  statements  con- 
cerning biblical  criticism  and  interpretation. 

"3.  Ten  specimen  lessons  for  infant,  advanced, 
and  adult  classes. 

"4.  Ten  exegetical  exercises  from  the  Old  and 
New  Testament  history,  from  the  Psalms,  Proph- 
ecies and  Epistles. 

"5.  Ten  catechetical  lessons  for  concert  recita- 
tion on  Bible  history,  geography,  chronology, 
ancient  manners,  and  customs,  etc.,  covering  in 
comprehensive  lessons  the  field  of  biblical  archae- 
ology. 

"6.  Five  lectures  on  the  organization,  objects, 
history,  management,  church  relations,  and  de- 
velopment of  the  Sunday  school  work. 

"Second :  A  prescribed  course  of  reading,  which 
shall  insure  the  careful  perusal  of  the  best  books 
on  teaching." 

The  Committee  on  Education.  In  1903,  the  Com- 
14 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

mittee  on  Education  was  organized  at  Winona, 
Indiana,  as  a  regular  committee  of  the  Interna- 
tional Sunday  School  Association.  In  1008, 
through  the  influence  of  Mr.  W.  C.  Tearce,  then 
Teacher  Training  Superintendent  of  the  Inter- 
national Sunday  School  Association,  a  confer- 
ence of  denominational  leaders  and  International 
secretaries  was  called  to  meet  in  Philadelphia. 
At  that  time  many  organizations  were  offering 
courses  in  teacher  training  and  giving  diplomas 
or  certificates.  There  were  at  least  twenty-eight 
such  courses  in  the  fields,  but  they  lacked  unity 
of  standards  or  methods.  After  several  sessions, 
in  which  there  was  much  earnest  discussion,  the 
conference  expressed  its  judgment  in  the  follow- 
ing findings,  which  have  since  been  the  basis  of 
the  work  of  the  Educational  Committee,  and 
which  have  been  accepted  with  practical  una- 
nimity by  the  Sunday  school  boards  of  the  differ- 
ent denominations : 

"It  was  unanimously  voted  as  the  sense  of  the 
conference  that  the  standardization  of  teacher- 
training  work  is  desirable. 

"It  is  the  sense  of  this  conference,  in  defining 
the  minimum  requirements  for  the  Standardized 
Course  for  Teacher  Training,  that  such  minimum 
should  include: 

"Fifty  lesson  periods,  of  which  at  least  twenty 
should  be  devoted  to  the  study  of  the  Bible,  and 

15 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  kSCHOOL 

at  least  seven  each  to  the  study  of  the  pupil,  the 
teacher,  and  the  Sunday  school. 

"That  two  years'  time  should  be  devoted  to  this 
course,  and  in  no  case  should  a  diploma  be 
granted  for  its  completion  in  less  than  one  year. 

"That  there  should  be  an  Advanced  Course, 
including  not  less  than  one  hundred  lesson 
periods,  vrith  a  minimum  of  forty  lesson  periods 
devoted  to  the  study  of  the  Bible,  and  of  not 
less  than  ten  each  to  the  study  of  the  pupil, 
the  teacher,  the  Sunday  school,  church  history, 
missions,  or  kindred  themes. 

"That  three  years'  time  should  be  devoted  to 
this  course,  and  in  no  case  should  a  diploma  be 
granted  for  its  completion  in  less  than  two  years. 

"We  declare  it  to  be  the  responsibility  of  each 
denomination  to  promote  to  the  utmost  the  train- 
ing of  teachers  for  the  Sunday  school;  and  that 
it  is  vital  to  the  uplift  of  this  work  that  the 
denominations  have  the  cordial  cooperation  and 
support  of  the  International  Sunday  School  Asso- 
ciation." 

Progress  of  the  Work.  There  was  reported  at 
Louisville  in  1908  an  enrollment  of  79,086  stu- 
dents in  the  International  office,  and  an  enroll- 
ment of  28,491  from  four  denominations.  Enroll- 
ment reported  by  State  and  provincial  associa- 
tions to  the  International  office  during  the  trien- 
nium  1908-1911  shows  l.'',r),270  students.    In  addi- 

16 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

tion  to  this,  an  aggrej^ate  of  50,000  students  has 
been  reported  by  various  denominational  boards 
as  enrolling  directly  with  them.  This  indicates 
that  in  1905  one  student  has  been  enrolled  in 
teacher  training  to  every  sixty-four  officers  and 
teachers;  1908,  one  student  to  twenty  officers  and 
teachers,  and  at  this  time,  1911,  one  student  to 
twelve  officers  and  teachers  through  the  Interna- 
tional office  alone.  Including  the  enrollments  in 
the  denominational  offices,  the  ratio  was  one  to 
eight.  Reports  received  show  that  27,100  First 
Standard  and  570  Advanced  Standard  diplomas 
have  been  issued  to  students  who  had  j^assed 
examinations  by  the  State  and  provincial  asso- 
ciations during  that  last  triennium.  The  report 
of  the  previous  triennium  showed  10,016  grad- 
uates. 

Courses  of  Study.  Several  courses,  varying  in 
length  of  time,  in  thoroughness  of  treatment,  and 
in  point  of  view,  are  needed  to  meet  the  varied 
conditions  found  in  the  Sunday  school  life  of 
America.  There  are  many  pupils  in  the  Inter- 
mediate Departments  of  the  Sunday  schools  who 
have  never  advanced  so  far  as  the  high  school. 
There  are  many  in  the  country  churches  whose 
only  training  has  been  in  the  district  school.  And 
there  are  many  adult  teachers  who  in  their  busy 
lives  have  found  little  time  for  books,  and  who 
are  especially  fearful  of  written  tests,  examina- 

17 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

tions,  and  the  methods  of  the  classroom.  And 
yet,  when  country  and  city,  frontier  and  mission 
school  are  all  taken  into  account,  these  persons 
of  meager  education  must  form  a  large  part  of 
the  teaching  force.  It  is  useless  to  place  before 
them  long  and  difficult  courses  of  study.  It  is 
too  late  to  scoff  at  limited  courses  offered  under 
conditions  favorable  to  home  study.  Universities 
and  educational  leaders  are  frankly  sympathetic 
with  extension  work  that  can  be  taken  by  those 
denied  the  privileges  of  high  schools  and  colleges. 
To  supply  the  rapidly  increasing  demand  for 
Sunday  school  teachers  will  soon  require  two 
million  persons  in  America.  This  can  be  done 
only  as  constant  attention  is  given  to  elementary 
courses  of  study.  The  work  must  begin  with 
many  young  students  whose  earlier  training  has 
given  them  little  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
Bible  and  who  have  no  acquaintance  with  methods 
of  teaching  or  the  psychology  of  childhood.  A 
great  part  of  the  teaching  in  the  small  school  is 
done  by  busy  people  with  limited  education  and 
without  habits  of  study.  Under  these  conditions, 
plain  courses  of  stud}*  and  clearly  stated  meth- 
ods are  essential  to  enlist  interest  and  secure 
results. 

Criticism  of  These  Courses.    This  First  Standard 
Course  was  never  intended  to  be  merely  a  one- 
year  course.     Fifty  lessons  is  stated  as  a  min- 
is 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

imum;  but  two  hours  of  preparation  are  asked 
from  each  student.  Where  there  is  discussion  of 
principles,  the  teacher  in  charge  of  the  work 
strives  to  lead  each  one  to  think  for  himself. 
Where  a  workers'  library  is  provided  and  utilized 
for  reference  reading,  and  there  are  reports  of 
reading,  of  practice  teaching,  and  of  observation 
both  of  child  life  and  of  methods  of  work  by  good 
teachers,  this  will  prove  not  only  a  valuable 
course  in  itself  but  will  lead  many  of  the  stu- 
dents to  more  advanced  work. 

At  the  Teacher  Training  Conference,  held  dur- 
ing the  San  Francisco  Convention  in  1911,  there 
were  representatives  of  the  leading  denomina- 
tional boards  of  Canada  and  the  United  States. 
The  question  was  asked:  "Is  the  First  Standard 
Course,  with  its  minimum  requirements  of  fifty 
lessons  and  one  year  of  time,  adapted  to  our  pres- 
ent needs,  or  has  the  time  come  to  advance  the 
standard?"  There  was  well-nigh  unanimous 
agreement  as  to  the  need  of  a  simple  and  ele- 
mentary course.  It  is  valuable  as  a  clear  and 
simple  outline  of  essential  things.  It  represents 
not  real  Bible  study,  only  a  brief  introduc- 
tion to  Bible  study;  but  it  gives  a  bird's-eye  view 
of  the  great  biblical  epochs  that  many  faithful 
readers  of  the  Scriptures  have  failed  to  see.  The 
brief  sketch  of  the  unfolding  of  the  child's  life, 
as  revealed  by  modern  psychology,  and  the  out- 

19 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

line  of  the  teaching  art,  are  suggestive  and  highly 
instructive  to  those  who  have  read  little.  Such 
a  course  does  two  things  at  least  for  the  untrained 
teacher:  it  forms  a  habit  of  regular  week-day 
study  in  anticipation  of  the  work  of  the  Sunday 
school,  and  it  prepares  one  to  be  an  intelligent 
reader  of  the  best  Sunday  school  literature. 
Such  a  course  may  be  abused,  as  all  courses  can 
be,  by  a  mechanical  and  hurried  skimming  of 
pages  and  a  cramming  of  dates  and  headlines  for 
examination.  But  it  is  intended  that  it  shall  be 
enriched  by  real  Bible  study,  reference  reading, 
map-drawing,  observation  and  practice  work,  re- 
quiring the  diligent  use  of  two  years,  with  at 
least  two  hours  a  week  of  preparation  for  each 
lesson  period.  The  simpler  books  have  been  used 
by  hundreds  of  earnest  teachers  in  this  more 
thorough  way,  and  at  the  end  there  has  been 
hunger  for  larger  and  better  things.  "I  can 
induce  my  teachers  to  take  a  course  of  twenty 
lessons  in  the  winter,"  said  the  scholarly  pastor 
of  a  New  England  church  of  high  intelligence, 
"but  I  cannot  succeed  with  a  larger  number." 

The  Advanced  Courses,  with  minimum  require- 
ments of  one  hundred  lesson  periods,  have  called 
out  many  excellent  textbooks,  and  are  available 
either  for  the  training  class  in  the  Sunday  school 
or  for  the  class  meeting  at  a  week-day  hour.  The 
great  value  of  the  First  Standard,  and  especially 

20 


TEACHEKS  AND  OFFICERS 

the  Advanced  Courses,  is  their  tiexibility  and 
adaptability.  In  actual  practice  they  are  proving 
important  stepping-stones  by  which  the  great 
body  of  untrained  teachers  may  advance  to  higher 
ideals  and  standards  of  efficiency. 

Promotion  of  Work,  (a)  The  work  of  promo- 
tion has  heretofore  been  largely  carried  out  by 
the  International  Sunday  School  Association. 
Each  State  and  provincial  association,  under  the 
guidance  of  the  educational  committee,  main- 
tains a  teacher-training  department  with  a  super- 
intendent, who  enrolls  students  in  that  State  or 
province,  is  responsible  for  the  examinations, 
and  through  whom  certificates  and  diplomas  are 
issued  to  classes  from  the  central  office.  The  State 
officers,  in  turn,  secure  the  ai)pointment  of 
teacher-training  helpers  in  each  city  and  county. 
Many  of  these  voluntary  workers  are  men  and 
women  in  high  educational  positions,  whose  work 
is  done  at  personal  sacrifice  and  whose  services 
are  most  efficient,  (b)  The  promotion  of  the 
work  is  through  conventions,  institutes,  corre- 
spondence, and  the  work  of  alumni  associations, 
(c)  Wherever  denominational  boards  desire  to 
enroll  and  train  the  students  of  their  own  church, 
it  is  the  duty  of  all  Association  officers  to  pro- 
mote the  organization  of  classes  and  to  forward 
the  names  to  their  respective  denominations. 

Denominational    Boards.      (a)     With    the    new 

21 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

Sunday  school  conscience  denominational  boards 
have  recognized  religious  education  as  a  duty. 
Heretofore  the  Sunday  school  board  has  been  the 
poor  relative  among  the  benevolent  societies  of 
the  churches.  It  has  had  neither  money,  men, 
nor  equipment  to  carry  forward  aggressive  work 
in  any  manner  befitting  its  great  duties,  (b) 
But  with  the  awakening  sense  of  responsibility 
has  come  within  the  past  five  years  a  reorganiza- 
tion, and  educational  superintendents  have  been 
named  in  nearly  all  of  the  denominations. 
Strong  committees,  well-equipped  offices,  and 
aggressive  policies  are  becoming  the  order  of  the 
day,  but  as  yet  these  things  are  only  in  the  begin- 
ning. 

Five  Gee  at  Needs 

I.  That  the  leaders  of  the  Church  should  drive  home 
to  the  consciences  of  its  members  the  aims  and  signifi- 
cance of  religious  education. 

II.  An  adequate  number  of  thoroughly  trained  men 
and  women  for  leadership  as  secretaries,  field  workers, 
and  college  teachers. 

III.  A  financial  support  commensurate  with  the  im- 
portance and  dignity  of  the  work. 

IV.  The  advance  of  courses  of  study  and  methods  of 
Instruction  in  accord  with  modern  educational  standards. 

V.  The  cooperation  of  the  teaching  and  promoting 
agencies,  both  denominational  and  interdenominational, 
with  freedom  in  details  and  unity  in  essentials,  for  the 
establishment  and  maintenance  of  a  system  of  religious 
education. 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 


III 
TRAINING  THE  NEW  RECRUITS 

The  Training  Class  in  the  School.  Every  school 
should  provide  for  its  own  future.  It  should 
offer  a  definite  course  of  study  for  students  who 
give  promise  of  ability  to  teach.  The  natural  and 
effective  way  to  provide  such  training  is  in  a  class 
of  carefully  chosen  students  meeting  at  the  reg- 
ular session  of  the  school  itself,  and  pursuing  a 
definite  teacher-training  course.  A  more  regular 
attendance  can  be  secured  at  the  Sunday  school 
hour  than  at  a  week-day  study  period.  The  Sab- 
bath hour  is  already  set  apart  by  long  custom. 
The  class  is  in  the  school  itself,  in  the  midst  of 
its  activities,  and  receives  the  necessary  encour- 
agement and  stimulus  from  the  life  and  move- 
ment of  the  school.  The  regular  hour  of  meeting, 
the  constant  call  to  service,  the  atmosphere  of 
worship,  and  close  relation  to  teachers  and 
oflScers,  prove  great  incentives  to  careful  prepara- 
tion. This  class  should  take  its  definite  place  in 
the  life  of  the  school,  and  look  forward  to  a  rela- 
tion to  the  school  as  regular  and  as  important 
as  that  of  the  primary  or  adult  department.  If 
the  value  of  this  work  is  clearly  seen  by  its  lead- 
ers, no  hindrance  will  be  allowed  to  stand  in  the 

23 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

way  of  its  success.  It  should  be  considered  essen- 
tial, and  eveiy  means  necessary  to  its  success 
and  permanence  should  be  used.  The  regular 
selection  of  students,  the  steady  class  work,  the 
examination,  and  the  graduation  every  year  will 
become  as  much  a  part  of  the  school  as  the  enroll- 
ment and  advancement  in  any  of  its  departments. 

Committee  on  Education  in  Local  Church.  One 
of  the  regular  committees  in  every  well-organized 
church  should  be  a  committee  on  education  which 
is  intrusted  with  the  whole  educational  work  of 
the  church,  of  its  Sunday  school,  and  young 
people's  societies.  The  pastor  should  be  ex  officio 
a  member  of  this  committee.  The  courses  of 
study  and  general  policy  of  its  Sunday  school 
work,  the  training  of  its  teachers,  and  promotion 
of  religious  education  through  the  agencies  of 
the  church,  should  be  determined  by  this  commit- 
tee. Through  its  guidance,  the  advancement  of 
plans  and  ideals  for  Sunday  school  work  can  be 
promoted  and  the  whole  church  acquainted  with 
the  results.  This  committee  should  bear  the 
same  relation  to  the  church  that  the  school  board 
does  to  the  community.  Intrusted  with  this  re- 
sponsibility, it  can  establish  a  far-reaching  policy 
and  maintain  efficiency  through  the  authority  and 
confidence  given  it  by  the  church. 

Awakening  Interest.  Before  such  a  class  can 
be  organized  it  is  frequently  necessary  to  awaken 

24 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

interest  among  the  officers  of  the  school  itself. 
It  is  seldom  necessary  to  present  the  need  of  a 
larger  number  of  trained  teachers;  but  the 
method  by  which  this  need  can  be  supplied  should 
be  very  clearly  placed  before  the  minister,  super- 
tendent,  and  other  officers.  They  should  be  led 
to  a  careful  study  of  the  whole  question.  It  is 
better  to  defer  action  than  to  begin  the  work 
without  adequate  preparation.  A  class  cannot 
fill  its  true  place  until  the  heart  and  brain  of  the 
church  is  ready  to  give  it  support.  A  sermon 
from  the  pastor  upon  the  educational  and  evan- 
gelistic value  of  the  Sunday  school,  setting  forth 
the  high  calling  of  the  teacher  of  religion  in  the 
school  of  the  church,  has  often  proved  the  most 
efficient  method  of  awakening  interest.  Then  the 
need  of  this  class  and  the  method  of  its  work 
should  be  discussed  fully  at  a  regular  meeting 
of  all  the  officers  and  teachers.  When  their 
cordial  and  intelligent  support  is  given,  failure 
will  be  rare.  It  is  not  uncommon,  when  such 
dignity  and  importance  is  given  the  class,  to  find 
the  number  of  students  wishing  to  take  a  course 
larger  than  the  number  desired  for  efi'ective  work 
in  classroom. 

Selection  of  Students.  Students  from  fifteen  or 
sixteen  to  iwenty  years  of  age  will  be  the  ones 
naturally  selected  for  this  class.  They  are  then 
at  the  climax  of  hope  and  courage.    It  is  the  age 

25 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

of  most  brilliant  mental  powers.  It  is  the  time 
when  youth  longs  for  some  kind  of  service  and 
feels  equal  to  great  tasks.  These  young  people 
are  now  students  in  schools  or  colleges,  or  they 
are  entering  employment  and  are  out  in  the 
world.  They  have  not  yet  felt  the  heavy  burdens 
of  life  upon  their  shoulders,  nor  have  they 
become  so  entangled  in  many  interests  or  pleas- 
ures that  they  are  distracted  from  important 
study  of  this  character.  We  may  also  assume 
that,  through  the  faithful  teaching  of  the  Junior 
and  Intermediate  years,  they  have  already  made 
the  great  decision,  and  are  now  standing  on  the 
threshold  of  the  Christian  life.  If  they  have  been 
prepared  by  the  Elementary  and  Intermediate 
years  of  the  Graded  Lessons,  they  should  continue 
the  Senior  lessons  supplementary  to  the  regular 
training  course. 

Personal  Appeal.  Dr.  Frederick  B.  Moorehead, 
a  successful  leader  of  teacher  training  in  Chicago, 
says :  "The  next  step,  and  one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant, is  to  talk  the  matter  over  personally  with 
each  member.  This  should  be  done  by  the  pastor, 
or  superintendent,  and  teacher.  It  will  make  a 
great  impression  upon  the  young  man  or  woman 
to  have  his  pastor  come  to  him  personally  and 
inform  him  that  the  church  has  laid  hands  upon 
him,  and  that  he  has  been  honored  by  being 
selected    to    membership    in    the    training   class. 

26 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

The  parents  should  also  be  consulted,  and  their 
consent  and  hearty  cooperation  secured.  In 
speaking  to  the  one  who  is  to  enter  the  class  the 
matter  ought  not  to  be  made  too  solemn.  Some 
may  be  frightened  in  this  way.  The  great  honor 
and  privilege  should  rather  be  emphasized.  Be- 
ing chosen  by  his  church,  after  much  prayer  and 
in  the  manner  indicated,  the  individual  will  be 
much  impressed  with  the  dignity  of  his  call,  and 
the  responsibility  attending  it.  He  will  be  con- 
scious of  the  fact  that  the  eyes  of  the  church  and 
school  are  upon  him." 

Enrollment.  After  the  roll  of  the  class  is  made 
up  and  work  definitely  begun,  it  is  important  to 
send  the  names  to  the  office  of  the  denomina- 
tional board  or  of  the  State  Association.  In  this 
way  the  students  are  properly  recognized,  and 
their  examinations  and  certificates  or  diplomas 
will  be  sent  from  the  same  office.  Enrollment 
implies  a  certain  obligation,  enlists  the  class  with 
the  great  bodies  of  students  following  the  same 
lines,  and  lifts  their  work  out  of  the  merely  local 
conditions.  They  are  much  more  likely  to  pursue 
their  studies  faithfully  and  to  complete  the  course 
when  they  are  thus  aligned  with  the  great  move- 
ments of  the  churches  and  are  working  toward  a 
definite  goal. 

The  Teacher.  Often,  when  the  importance  and 
permanent  character  of  the  training  class  is  made 

27 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

clear,  a  teacher  who  is  both  a  Bible  student  and 
versed  in  educational  methods  can  be  secured. 
If  the  thoroughly  equipped  teacher  is  not  at 
hand,  the  school  should  secure  the  best  avail- 
able and  make  a  beginning  in  preparation  for  a 
permanent  class.  An  earnest  student  of  the 
Bible  will  often  be  led,  under  the  sense  of  respon- 
sibility, to  make  a  careful  preparatory  study  of 
religious  psychology  and  pedagogy.  Under  the 
leadership  of  such  a  teacher,  the  work  will  be  at 
least  helpful  and  suggestive.  On  the  other  hand, 
when  the  call  of  dutj^  comes  to  a  teacher  who 
has  gained  skill  by  study  and  experience,  he  will 
often  be  found  turning  with  great  eagerness  to  a 
more  careful  study  of  the  Bible. 

Equipment.  Each  student  has  a  Bible  of  his 
own.  A  textbook,  containing  the  course  of  study 
chosen,  is  the  next  essential.  A  modern  Bible  dic- 
tionary will  be  found  of  great  value.  The  class 
itself  should  possess  maps,  a  blackboard,  and 
should  begin  the  building  of  a  workers'  library. 
The  number  of  books  of  gi'eat  value  to  teachers  in 
the  Sunda}'  school  is  constantly  increasing.  A 
few  of  these  are  of  general  character,  and  should 
be  familiar  to  all  teachers.  They  should  be  used 
as  reference  books  throughout  the  study  of  the 
courses.  The  First  Standard  Course  is  a  course 
of  outlines,  simple  and  plain.  It  represents  only 
a  beginning  in   each   of  the   important  subjects 

28 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

treated,  aiul  it  is  essential  for  the  teacher  to  have 
at  hand  these  additional  books  that  present  wide 
range  of  information  and  discussion.  Students 
should  also  be  strongly  encouraged  to  purchase 
books  for  themselves.  Their  interest  will  be  far 
deeper  in  books  they  buy  than  in  books  they 
borrow  or  take  from  a  library.  Our  students 
should  not  be  considered  too  poor  or  too  listless 
to  buy  books  upon  lines  of  work  to  which  they  are 
to  devote  an  important  part  of  their  lives  and  for 
which  the  Church  has  intrusted  them  with  such 
high  responsibility.  The  workers'  libraiy  thus 
built  up  should  belong  to  the  class.  It  should  be 
its  permanent  possession,  in  the  care  of  an  officer 
of  the  class  who  faithfully  guards  its  use.  In 
addition  to  these  books  of  a  general  nature,  such 
a  library  should  be  slowly  builded  by  selecting 
books  for  the  si)ecial  departments  of  the  school. 
Periodicals,  also  a  few  of  the  monthlies  issued  by 
the  great  religious  publishing  houses  for  Sunday 
school  workers,  and  the  Journal  of  Religious 
Education  should  be  upon  the  table  in  the  class- 
room. The  fresh  discussions  appearing  upon 
these  pages  will  prove  very  suggestive,  and  the 
teacher  will  find  constant  opportunity  for  refer- 
ence to  the  writings  of  experts  and  practical 
workers. 

Method  of  Teaching.    The  lecture  method  is  one 
of  the  surest  means  of  killing  the  teacher-training 

29 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

class.  Careful  questioning,  thorough  discussions, 
supplemental  readings,  the  drawing  of  maps, 
reports  from  personal  observation,  and  some 
practice  teaching,  will  give  abundant  variety. 
This  is  not  a  class  for  Bible  study  alone,  nor  does 
it  aim  simply  to  add  to  the  intelligence  of  the 
students.  It  is  to  be  a  real  class  for  training 
teachers,  hence  the  problems  of  the  teacher's 
work  should  have  prominence  throughout.  Ex- 
aminations have  their  place,  but  they  are  the 
mere  by-products  of  the  work.  Frequent  written 
tests,  drills,  and  reviews  are  essential  to  thorough 
teaching,  and  will  remove  all  fear  of  examination 
when  students  have  been  true  to  their  obligations 
in  preparing  the  lessons.  The  effort  of  the  teacher 
should  constantly  lead  to  thought  and  expression. 
Mere  memory  tests  do  not  train  teachers.  The 
just  criticism  against  the  short  courses  is  that 
they  too  often  attempt  simply  to  impart  informa- 
tion, and  make  no  provision  for  calling  the  teach- 
ing ability  into  action  or  guiding  it  toward  real 
service.  Facts  about  the  Bible  and  facts  about 
the  child  are  important,  but  they  come  far  short 
of  true  preparation  of  the  teacher.  The  great  aim 
should  be  to  develop  the  personality  of  the  stu- 
dent, to  turn  him  to  the  investigation  of  child 
life,  to  thought  upon  the  problems  of  the  Sunday 
school  as  an  organization,  to  inquire  regarding 
the  methods  of  teaching,  and  to  a  deeper  consid- 

30 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

eration    of   the    questions    of    personal    religious 
influence. 

Training  for  Special  Work.  Not  many  months 
will  pass  before  members  of  the  class  will  begin  to 
show  special  aptitude  for  different  departments 
of  Sunday  school  work.  Then  the  work  of  spe- 
cial training  should  begin  and  should  receive 
attention  along  with  the  regular  study.  Assign- 
ments of  reference  reading  can  be  made  so  as  to 
direct  the  future  primary  teacher.  Under  this 
personal  direction  far  more  thorough  study  of 
the  younger  child  should  be  made  than  was  pos- 
sible in  the  class  hour.  Or  the  young  man  can 
be  directed  to  the  study  of  the  adolescent  years 
and  of  boys'  work  in  particular,  and  given  assign- 
ments of  reading  and  investigation  that  will 
enable  him  to  see  the  possibilities  of  usefulness 
in  that  particular  field  and  prepare  him,  in  a 
measure,  to  be  a  real  boys'  teacher.  Such  aids  in 
specialization  should  be  carefully  selected,  as  the 
desire  or  ability  of  the  individual  members  of  the 
class  develop.  Nor  should  the  teacher  wait  for 
spontaneous  expression  from  the  pupils,  but 
should  study  them  carefully  with  the  immediate 
field  of  work  and  its  future  development  in  view, 
and  should  take  time  for  careful  interviews  with 
the  members  regarding  a  congenial  department 
of  service.  Reports  of  special  studies  should 
receive  careful  attention,  because  they  will  mean 

31 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

not  only  the  expression  of  the  pupils'  interest  but 
will  rapidly  extend  the  sympathy  and  insight  of 
the  class.  Let  the  teacher  comment  upon  these 
reports  and  praise  whatever  is  done  well,  but 
also  discuss  frankly  those  aspects  of  the  subjects 
which  may  need  fuller  treatment  or  emphasis. 
The  reading  must  be  followed  closely  by  the 
teacher  to  see  that  it  is  done  and  that  it  awakens 
within  the  student  a  deeper  interest  in  the  spe- 
cial departments  of  the  school  or  in  the  methods 
suggested.  The  books  should  be  chosen  for  each 
department  of  the  school,  and  should  be  supple- 
mented by  a  few  of  wider  scope.  The  Graded 
Lessons  used  by  the  school  should  be  studied  care- 
full}',  and  their  defects  and  virtues  discussed. 
The  several  lesson  series  published  could  also  be 
studied  and  compared  to  advantage.  If  the  In- 
ternational Graded  Lessons  are  used,  the  treat- 
ment of  the  lessons  by  the  writers  of  the  several 
denominations  or  publishing  houses  will  likewise 
be  found  instructive. 

Conventions  and  Institutes.  The  modern  Sun- 
day school  has  derived  such  great  inspiration 
and  received  so  many  of  its  advanced  methods 
through  conventions  and  institutes  and  schools 
of  methods  that  they  are  now  found  essential  to 
the  successful  teacher.  The  young  student  will 
find  in  these  gatherings  not  only  abundant  sugges- 
tion for  thought  but  will  get  a  new  conviction 

32 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

and  fresh  joy  in  the  work.  The  attendance  of  the 
class  in  a  body  at  such  large  gatherings,  whenever 
it  is  possible,  will  often  give  them  a  new  vision 
of  the  possibilities  of  the  service  and  of  its  rela- 
tion to  the  problems  of  the  Church  and  moral  up- 
building of  the  nation. 

Observation  Work.  Professor  George  A.  Coe  in 
an  address  at  the  San  Francisco  convention  said : 
"The  mark  of  the  best  method  will  be  observation 
work,  with  individual  analysis  of  what  is  ob- 
served. The  school  itself  thus  becomes  the  essen- 
tial object  that  the  class  endeavors  to  understand. 
With  definite  problems  in  mind,  each  student 
will,  in  the  course  of  two  years,  observe  and  report 
upon  the  w^ork  of  the  kindergarten,  a  primary 
class,  a  juuior  class,  an  intermediate  class,  and 
adult  class,  the  organization  of  the  school  and  of 
its  departments,  the  records,  the  finances,  and  the 
methods  of  recruiting.  After  a  time  each  student 
will  specialize  upon  the  grade,  department,  or 
function  that  is  to  be  his  own.  He  will  prepare 
lesson  plans,  questions,  and  stories,  all  of  which 
will  be  carefully  criticized  by  the  leader.  After 
considerable  experience — not  less  than  a  year — 
in  this  preparatory  work,  he  may  become  a  cadet 
teacher,  occasionally  assisting  in  a  class  or  tak- 
ing entire  charge  of  it  for  a  Sunday,  first  prepar- 
ing a  plan  and  receiving  criticism  upon  it;  and 
always  a  report  upon  one's  experience  in  substi- 

33 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

tute  teaching  should  be  made  and  criticized. 
This  scheme  of  training  assumes,  of  course,  that 
the  normal  class  is  a  permanent  and  continuous 
part  of  the  school.  In  many  schools,  however,  a 
less  complete  scheme  must  suffice  for  the  present. 
But  the  essentials  of  method  are  the  same."  Miss 
Slattery's  Guide  for  Teachers  of  Training  Classes 
suggests  clearly  the  method  and  value  of  observa- 
tion work.  She  says:  "Ask  the  class  to  meet  on 
Sunday  promptly  ten  minutes  before  the  Sunday 
school  hour  to  visit  a  given  department  in  your 
own  school  or  the  best  that  can  be  found.  Give 
out  notebooks  to  be  used  by  the  students.  Mem- 
bers must  in  no  way  interfere  with  the  work  of 
a  department  or  attract  attention  to  themselves. 
Use  your  own  notebooks  freely.  Be  sure  to  ex- 
press your  gratitude  and  that  of  your  class  for  the 
privilege  of  the  visit."  At  the  next  meeting  of  the 
class  questions  and  topics  like  the  following 
occupy  the  hour:  "What  are  the  characteristics 
of  the  child  in  this  department  studied?  De- 
scribe the  equipment  of  the  room  visited.  Was  it 
satisfactory  or  unsatisfactory?  Why?  What 
value  was  there  in  the  music?  What  was  the 
effect  of  the  prayer  upon  the  children?  What 
was  the  subject  of  the  lesson?  Was  it  fitted  to 
their  needs?  What  was  the  value  of  the  story 
told?  Have  you  anything  to  say  about  the  clos- 
ing session?    If  you  were  to  become  superintend- 

34 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

ent  or  become  a  teacher  in  it,  what  change,  if 
any,  would  you  make?" 

Suggestions  Based  on  Practical  Expeeience 
the  equipment  and  work  of  the  class 

1.  Each  pupil  should  be  provided  with  notebook. 
Uniform  size  is  desirable  and  a  substantial  book,  that 
notes  may  be  kept  for  later  reference. 

2.  Students  should  be  encouraged  to  buy  their  own 
reference  books,  especially  along  the  line  of  their  par- 
ticular interests.  One  receives  far  more  value  from 
book  owned  than  from  book  borrowed. 

3.  There  should  be  a  Worker's  Library  owned  by  the 
church — a  few  carefully  selected  books  relating  to  each 
department  of  the  Sunday  school.  This  library  should 
be  kept  alive,  and  be  in  charge  of  some  one  who  will 
guard  it  faithfully,  and,  above  all,  see  that  the  books 
adapted  to  the  needs  of  students  are  brought  to  the  at- 
tention of  the  officers  and  teachers. 

4.  Reading  should  be  assigned  by  the  teacher — 
definite  chapters  and  pages. 

5.  The  teacher  should  see  that  reading  is  done,  and 
should  require  regular  reports  stating  number  of  pages 
read. 

6.  State  what  chapters  were  most  helpful. 

7.  What  article  in  Sunday  school  weeklies  or  month- 
lies have  you  read  with  special  help?  What  suggestion 
was  of  particular  interest  and  value? 

8.  Put  in  your  own  words  the  best  thought  regarding 
Sunday  school  work  that  you  have  read  within  the  last 
month. 

9.  The  object  is  to  learn  how  to  read  books  and  get 
at  the  heart  of  them  rapidly;  to  learn  how  to  make  the 
best  of  them  one's  own. 

35 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

10.  Reading  with  a  direct  object  in  view  is  easy  and 
interesting.  A  brief,  clear  summing  up  is  fine  dis- 
cipline. 

11.  Blackboard,  maps,  Bible  dictionary  should  be 
available. 

12.  Learn  the  use  of  the  stereoscope  and  stereograph. 
(N.  B. — Note  list  of  approved  books  in  Appendix.) 


36 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFIGEKS 


IV 

TRAINING  TEACHERS  ALREADY  ENLISTED  IN 
THE   SERVICE 

Starting  to  Work.  The  training  class  for  the 
teacher  already  at  work  meets  necessarily  at  some 
midweek  hour.  It  may  be  the  class  of  teachers 
connected  with  a  single  church  or  with  a  group  of 
churches;  it  is  frequently  an  interdenominational 
class.  The  organization  of  the  teacher-training 
class  requires  strong  and  persistent  effort.  The 
lifting  power  of  some  earnest  heart  is  often 
needed  to  carry  the  teachers  and  officers  of  the 
school  past  the  fatal  dead  center.  Leaflets  are 
important  for  giving  accurate  information,  but 
the  personal  appeal  supplies  the  inspiration  that 
more  frequently  secures  action  and  organization. 
Absent  treatment  is  rarely  eft'eotive.  The  public 
meeting  is  sometimes  a  valuable  means  of  kin- 
dling interest,  but  its  impressions  must  be  fol- 
lowed by  careful  enrollment  and  explanation.  The 
teachers,  officers,  and  friends  of  the  school  should 
be  called  together  and  a  broad  view  of  the  work 
and  the  responsibility  of  teachers  clearly  stated 
by  some  one  capable  of  speaking  effectively 
and  of  furnishing  practical  information.  The 
value  of  preparation  for  the  work  of  teaching  can 
here  be  presented  in  a  more  definite  way.    A  loose 

37 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

and  careless  beginning  invites  failure.  The  effort 
to  organize  a  class  by  mere  announcement  from 
pulpit  or  superintendent's  desk  is  seldom  suffi- 
cient. Where  the  class  is  large,  it  should  be 
organized  according  to  the  plan  of  the  Adult 
Bible  Class,  with  a  president,  vice-president, 
secretary,  treasurer,  teacher,  and  three  commit- 
tees. The  membership  committee  will  enroll  new 
members,  look  after  the  laggards,  and  help  sus- 
tain interest  in  the  attendance.  The  social  com- 
mittee can  do  much  to  maintain  class  spirit  and 
provide  delightful  social  hours  for  the  group 
working  together.  The  devotional  committee  can 
sustain  the  finer  religious  spirit  of  the  class,  and 
bind  them  together  by  emphasizing  the  deeper 
purpose  that  underlies  all  true  teaching  in  the 
Sunday  school :  the  winning  of  souls  and  build- 
ing Christian  character. 

The  Time  Problem.  The  time  problem  is  always 
a  serious  one.  Teachers  are  busy  people.  The 
Lord  has  little  use  for  people  who  have  no  work 
of  their  own.  The  majority  of  our  teachers  come 
from  stores  and  offices  and  schoolrooms,  from 
factories  and  farms  and  kitchens.  Many  of  them 
are  teaching  at  great  personal  sacrifice.  And  yet 
it  is  the  busy  and  capable  people  who  are  willing, 
in  answer  to  the  call  of  duty  and  with  the  pros- 
pect of  a  great  service,  to  undertake  new  tasks. 
The  gold  supply  has  been  vastly  increased  in  the 

38 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

past  ten  years  not  so  much  by  large  diggings  from 
Alaskan  fields  and  African  mines  as  by  the  newer 
refining  process  which  saves  the  gold  from  the 
dump  heap.  Christian  workers  must  use  to-day 
this  fine  application  of  method  to  time  values. 
"Time  is  money,"  and  if  ever  time  yielded  rich 
assay  of  golden  hours,  it  is  in  the  service  of  reli- 
gious education.  The  results  of  the  refiner's  test- 
ing for  refuse  minutes,  the  careful  weighing  of 
wasted  hours  in  the  balance,  seldom  fail  to 
remove  all  excuses.  It  is  a  question  of  three  hours 
a  week  or  a  little  more — two  hours  of  faithful 
study  and  another  hour  for  recitation  and  review 
and  study  of  methods. 

The  Consecration  of  Time.  There  is  a  still  higher 
ideal  of  the  use  of  time  than  merely  the  careful 
assortment;  this  is  to  give  it  freely,  to  give  it  at 
a  sacrifice,  to  take  it  away  from  some  valued  and 
yet  lesser  call,  and  to  bestow  it  as  an  offering. 
We  approve  the  sacrifice  when  a  man  devotes  his 
entire  life  to  some  great  service;  but  there  may 
be  just  as  true  a  value  and  as  high  a  motive  in 
giving  a  part  of  the  time.  The  finer  spiritual  dis- 
cernment that  is  cutting  aw^ay  the  partition  be- 
tween the  sacred  and  the  secular  helps  us  to  see 
that  it  is  not  the  missionary  to  foreign  lands,  or 
the  minister  in  the  pulpit,  or  the  worker  in  the 
slum,  who  is  to  win  this  world,  but  that  by  far 
the  largest  part  of  the  work  must  be  done  by  those 

39 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

who  give  some  time  week  by  week  from  busy  lives. 
This  is  not  a  dragging  down  of  the  sacred,  nor  a 
belittling  of  the  Christian  ministry,  but  the  up- 
lifting of  the  service  of  the  layworker.  The  dis- 
paragement of  gifts  and  efforts  by  those  who  can 
only  give  something  in  everyday  service  is  one  of 
the  pathetic  things  about  religious  life.  How 
often  have  we  seen  the  earnest  man  who  longs  to 
serve  but  thinks  that  all  real  work  for  God 
belongs  to  the  ordained  ministry'!  Or  how  often 
the  woman  is  found  whose  heart  is  heavy  because 
she  could  not  go  as  a  missionary  or  take  some 
far-away  task !  And  yet  there  is  service  for  them 
in  the  community  right  at  hand  and  they  see  it 
not.  The  recognition  of  the  dignity  of  the  tasks 
at  one's  own  doors  is  a  sign  of  advanced  Christian 
enlightenment.  Work  that  costs  nothing  brings 
little  joy.  In  even  heavy  and  hard-pressed  lives 
fragments  of  time  can  be  saved.  If  some  of  the 
hours  spent  in  the  blustering  and  nerve-racking 
activities  called  church  work  be  devoted  to 
thoughtful  preparation  for  a  higher  type  of  serv- 
ice, we  shall  have  far  greater  joy  in  the  effort  and 
a  far  larger  number  of  sheaves  at  the  harvest 
time.  The  hours  spent  in  ordinary  church 
suppers,  which  often  bring  nothing  but  a  little 
money  and  a  passing  satisfaction  to  an  overfed 
crowd,  may  profitably  be  devoted  to  a  course  of 
study  that  will  lift  the  standard  of  the  Sunday 

40 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

school   aud   chauge  the   life  of   scores  of  young 
people  in  the  community. 

The  Choice  of  a  Teacher.  The  choice  of  a 
teacher  is  sometimes  a  perplexing  question.  The 
pastor  is  ordinarily  chosen  because  he  is  the 
natural  leader  in  religious  work  and  the  most 
scholarly  student  of  the  problems  involved. 
Sometimes,  however,  a  teacher  trained  in  public 
school  or  college  work  is  found  to  be  the  natural 
leader,  or,  again,  some  teacher  who  is  eminently 
successful  in  the  Sunday  school  is  immediately 
selected.  The  work  is  essentially  cooperative. 
All  are  seekers  after  knowledge  together;  no  one 
needs  to  be  driven.  Much  of  the  benefit  is  derived 
from  discussion  and  from  exchange  of  views.  In 
these  conditions  the  class  can  derive  great  ad- 
vantage from  the  work  even  without  a  skilled 
and  well-trained  teacher.  The  immediate  inter- 
ests and  responsibilities  are  an  incentive  to  work. 
The  great  need  is  ever  before  tlieni.  The  constant 
practical  application  is  at  hand.  The  deep  sym- 
pathy and  unity  of  spirit  give  a  unique  tone  to 
the  class  of  teachers  and  make  the  problem  of  a 
leader  for  this  class  far  less  serious  than  it  first 
appears.  It  is  often  well  worth  wliile  to  secure 
the  services  of  a  teacher  of  skill  and  experience 
from  outside  the  local  church.  In  such  a  case 
the  work  of  this  teacher  should  be  ]>aid  for  with 
promptness  and  liberality. 

41 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

Examination.  In  a  class  of  teachers  and  older 
students  there  is  often  found  a  large  number  who 
hesitate  to  prepare  written  work  or  who  fear  the 
examinations.  Some  of  these  teachers  have  been 
long  out  of  school,  and  a  written  test  is  looked 
upon  with  dread.  If  there  is  a  large  number  of 
such  persons,  it  may  seriously  hinder  the  work  of 
the  class.  They  lack  definite  aim,  and  do  not 
feel  the  same  call  to  study  or  to  regular  attend- 
ance. They  are  apt  to  seek  the  benefit  of  the  class 
only  for  the  instruction  given  by  the  teacher  and 
the  discussion,  and  to  give  little  attention  to  the 
study  of  the  textbook  or  supj)lemental  reading. 
If  they  drop  out  of  the  work,  attention  is  called 
to  the  diminishing  attendance  of  the  class;  the 
effort  is  discouraging  to  the  more  faithful  stu- 
dents. If  they  remain,  they  impede  the  regular 
progress  of  the  class.  A  definite  goal  is  necessary 
for  the  runner.  A  carefully  laid  course  of  study, 
examinations,  and  recognition  at  the  end  are  of 
great  value  to  most  students.  The  certificate  or 
diploma  is  a  powerful  incentive  to  work.  Fre- 
quent short  written  tests,  review^s,  and  drills  will 
prepare  the  way  for  examination  and  prove  a 
valuable  discipline.  The  fear  of  examination  in 
any  of  the  more  elementarj^  courses  is  quite  need- 
less for  the  careful  student. 

The  Actual  Work  of  the  Class.  Encourage  care- 
ful use  of  notebooks  and  a  reasonable  assignment 

42 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

of  reference  reading  for  each  week.  See  that  the 
reading  is  done,  and  ask  for  reports  and  for  sig- 
nificant results.  Expect  students  to  know  when  a 
lesson  is  well  taught.  Lead  them  to  formulate 
clearl}'  the  main  objectives  of  teaching.  Study 
how  to  reach  the  pupil's  point  of  view  and  how 
to  plan  a  lesson.  Give  time  to  the  subject  of  illus- 
tration, to  examples,  and  to  practical  application. 
Study  how  to  describe  vividly  and  to  make  the 
vital  elements  in  the  narratives  clear.  Learn  how 
to  use  the  dramatic  illustrations  and  climactic 
situations  in  the  great  biblical  narratives.  Give 
much  time  to  the  study  of  characters,  not  only 
describing  them,  but  making  comparison  between 
biblical  characters  and  the  great  characters  of 
Christian  history.  Learn  how  to  analyze  a  spe- 
cific character,  and  by  studying  the  historical 
surroundings,  motives,  and  spirit  of  the  time,  to 
enter  into  sympathy  and  gain  some  estimate  of 
the  value  of  the  lifework.  Story-telling  may  be 
made  an  effective  feature  of  class  work,  so  that  it 
will  become  far  more  than  practice  work;  it  will 
become  fascinating  and  delightful  as  a  relief 
from  severe  drill  and  the  harder  study  in  the  ordi- 
nary class  routine.  Cultivate  the  use  of  the  im- 
agination, and  especially  the  power  to  draw  word 
pictures.  Use  the  direct  narrative  and  the  pres- 
ent tense.  Let  each  one  be  asked  to  tell  the  favor- 
ite Bible  story  and  other  carefully  chosen  stories 

43 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

taken  directly  from  life,  from  literature,  and  from 
history. 

Develop  Teaching  Power.  Discuss  freely  ex- 
pressional  activities.  Report  experiments  in 
simple  methods  of  securing  activities  from  the 
pupils.  Be  careful  that  siich  activity  is  really  an 
expression  of  the  religious  nature.  The  Sunday 
school  cannot  do  ever^'thing,  and  we  should  recog- 
nize that  its  opportunity'  for  genuine  laboratory 
work  is  very  limited.  Teach  how  to  use  the  Bible. 
Guide  the  class  in  teaching  how  to  pray,  in  show- 
ing the  relation  of  the  pupil  to  the  Church,  and 
in  inciting  a  love  for  it.  Study  how  freedom  and 
reverence  can  be  attained  together.  A  love  for 
the  Church  and  a  joyful  appreciation  of  the 
duties  as  well  as  the  privileges  of  the  Church 
should  be  a  definite  part  of  the  instruction.  Abil- 
ity to  teach  is  not  limited  to  a  few;  it  may  be 
cultivated,  and  by  careful  attention  it  may  be 
developed.  The  results  of  specific  types  of  teach- 
ing in  the  individual,  in  the  class,  and  in  the 
school  as  a  whole  should  be  carefully  studied. 
There  may  be  splendid  machinery  and  skilled 
workmen  with  little  product.  It  should  also  be 
made  clear  that  team  work  and  the  unity  of  spirit 
in  striving  constantly  toward  the  one  main  end 
are  essential  to  effective  teaching. 

The  Direct  Aim.  Valuable  as  the  study  of  child 
nature  and  methods   of  teaching  is.   it  must  be 

44 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

clearly  understood  that  the  chief  objective  of 
Sunday  school  teaching — the  winning  to  Christ 
and  building  up  of  Christian  character — must 
always  be  kept  in  view,  or  the  teaching  fails. 
These  studies  are  important,  but  they  are  only 
important  as  they  are  used  as  a  means  to  an  end. 
Whenever  the  teacher  becomes  lost  in  the  process 
the  teaching  fails.  Dr.  J.  M.  Rice,  in  Scientific 
Management  in  Education,  says:  "It  is  possible 
to  attain  ninety  per  cent  in  pedagogy  and  ten  per 
cent  in  ability  to  teach,  because  pedagogy  and 
psychology  may  be  mere  memory  studies.  Suc- 
cess in  teaching  does  not,  after  all,  depend  upon 
the  ability  of  the  teacher,  nor  even  on  the  train- 
ing of  the  teacher,  nor  yet  on  the  size  of  the  class, 
nor  on  the  time  spent  in  study,  nor  on  the  equip- 
ment, but  depends  upon  something  inherent  in 
the  teaching."  And  this  one  thing  needful  he 
finds  is  to  aim  at  definite  results.  Failure  in  this 
directness  means  failure  in  awakening  in  pupils 
the  power  to  think  for  themselves.  The  new 
methods  of  education  call  for  the  power  to  think, 
not  merely  to  remember  what  was  said  in  the 
book.  If  teaching  must  be  measured  by  its 
results  and  not  by  its  methods,  then  Sunday 
school  teaching  is  to  be  measured  by  its  results 
in  Christian  conduct.  Winning  to  Christ  is  at 
once  the  end  and  the  beginning  of  the  Sunday 
school  teacher's  task.     It  is  the  aim,  never  lost 

45 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

until  the  consent  is  given  in  unconditional  sur- 
render to  Christ.  It  then  yields  to  the  great  task 
of  helping  the  growing  Christian  to  build  a  char- 
acter in  Christ.  Every  strong,  clear-minded  man 
turns  to  some  one  and  says  with  gratitude,  "He 
was  my  teacher."  Everyone  who  has  truly  found 
Christ  has  felt  a  handclasp  and  followed  in  con- 
fidence a  footstep  on  the  upward  way  toward  the 
cross. 

Privileges  of  Service.  Teaching  in  the  Sunday 
school  is  the  highest  opportunity  offered  to  many 
busy  men  and  women  for  expressing  their  own 
deepest  convictions  about  what  is  worth  while 
in  life.  The  inspiring  and  constructive  value  of 
this  influence,  as  the  complement  to  the  duties  of 
home  and  business,  has  seldom  been  estimated 
at  its  true  spiritual  worth.  The  teacher  has 
often  failed  to  appreciate  the  meaning  of  such 
expression  to  his  own  life.  It  is  an  avocation,  a 
higher  calling,  running  alongside  the  daily 
struggle  for  bread.  It  is  a  consecration  of  leisure 
to  the  noblest  ends  of  religious  education.  The 
value  of  teaching  to  the  teacher  will  mean  more 
and  more  thorough  the  years  as  greater  skill  is 
gained  and  fruit  in  the  lives  of  others  is  seen. 
Groszman,  in  The  Career  of  the  Child,  says: 
"Indeed,  teaching  is  esentially  a  spiritual  thing. 
All  depends  upon  the  spirit  in  which  information 
is  imparted,  upon  the  ideal  toward  which  knowl- 

46 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

edge  is  directed ;  upon  the  educator's  power  to 
strengthen  the  will,  to  inspire  the  heart,  to  en- 
noble the  aspirations  of  his  pupil.  ...  It  is  not 
so  much  a  matter  of  what  ideals  a  teacher  teaches 
as  of  what  ideals  are  in  his  own  heart.  These 
ideals  will  influence  his  entire  manner.  There 
must  be  absolute  fairness  and  self-control,  unfail- 
ing cheerfulness  and  sympathy,  a  readiness  to 
appreciate  the  pupil's  side  of  the  problem  and  to 
forget  his  own ;  a  loving  interest  in  the  individual 
needs  of  each  child,  a  wise  discernment  of  causes 
and  effects,  physical,  moral,  and  intellectual ;  a 
tactful  attitude  toward  the  parents  whose  co- 
operation must  be  secured,  the  influences  of 
heredity  and  environment  having  been  discreetly 
studied ;  a  ready  heart  and  a  willing  hand  to  help 
the  most  forlorn  and  abandoned  little  soul  and 
neglected  body  even  more  promptly  than  the 
dainty  child  of  wealth  and  winning  manners. 
'Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy 
laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest.'  We  must  be 
meek  and  lowly  and  glorify  ourselves  by  service." 

Observation  Work  for  Teachers  in  Charge  of  Classes 

Report  in  writing  to  be  discussed  in  class,  with  sug- 
gestions by  the  teacher  of  training  class,  as  a  basis  for 
practice  wcrk,  or  observation  of  one's  own  teaching. 

1.  Age  and  number  of  pupils  taught? 

2.  What  are  the  special  needs  of  these  pupils? 

3.  What  was  the  aim  of  the  lesson  taught? 

47 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

4.  What  particular  need  in  their  lives  did  it  meet? 

5.  How  did  you  secure  a  point  of  contact  with  the 
class  and  win  attention? 

6.  How  did  you  retain  this  interest?  How  did  you 
secure  variety  and  movement  in  use  of  subject  matter? 

7.  What  special  difficulties  did  you  have  in  teaching 
this  lesson? 

8.  What  story  did  you  tell?    Was  it  successful? 

9.  Give  one  or  more  questions  that  you  asked  last 
Sunday?    Did  they  work  well?    If  not,  why? 

10.  What   forms    of   expression   did   you    secure   from 

class  besides  talking,  last  Sunday? 

* 

Reixforcing  the  Persoxality  Of  THE  Teacher 
Professor   W.    C.    Bagley    secured    from    one   hundred 
school  men  the  qualities  each  believed  to  be  implied  in 
the  term   "Personality."     These   in   order   of   their   im- 
portance were: 

1.  Sympathy.  6.  Enthusiasm. 

2.  Personal   appearance.      7.  Scholarship. 

3.  Address.  8.  Vitality. 

4.  Sincerity.  9.  Fairness. 

5.  Optimism.  10.  Reserve  or  dignity. 

Ask  each  student  to  study  these  qualities  with  care. 
Then  ask  which  we  especially  need  to  cultivate,  and  in 
what  way  can  we  strengthen  the  personal  teaching 
power?    Which  can  be  modified  by  the  person  himself? 

Suggestions  for  the  Week-Day  Class  of  Teachers  and 
Students 

1.  Ask  from  each  one  a  pledge  of  at  least  one  year's 
work. 

2.  Enroll  as  many  teachers  as  will  come;  do  not  wait 
for  all. 

48 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

3.  Do  not  burden  the  teacher  of  the  training  class  with 
anything  but  the  teaching. 

4.  Secure  a  businesslike  organization.  A  card  record 
should  be  kept  with  accuracy.  Reports  of  all  committees 
should  be  submitted  in  writing,  and  put  on  record. 

5.  Find  a  real  business  leader  for  president.  More 
classes  fail  from  lack  of  clear-cut  organization  than  from 
poor  teaching. 

6.  Do  thorough  work.  Demand  definite  preparation 
of  the  lesson  from  every  one. 

7.  As  the  work  progresses  let  each  one  select  some 
special  department  for  individual  study.  Organize, 
wherever  possible,  study  groups  for  specialization. 

8.  In  teaching,  avoid  mere  memory  tasks.  Go  slowly. 
It  takes  time  to  assimilate  important  subjects. 

9.  Take  time  to  study  the  Bible  itself.  Study  about  it 
will  never  make  Bible  students. 

10.  Guard  the  time  of  class  work  jealously.  Do  not 
allow  interruptions, 

11.  A  prompt  beginning  and  a  prompt  ending  are  alike 
of  great  value. 

12.  Examinations  are  to  give  proof  that  one  has  a 
certain  amount  of  knowledge  in  a  definitely  organized 
form.    It  is  valuable  in  giving  aim  and  accuracy  to  study. 

13.  Let  the  teacher  constantly  suggest  reading  and 
assign  definite  chanters  and  pages  in  the  workers' 
library.  Encourage  research  work.  Make  much  of  ob- 
servation during  week,  followed  by  careful  discussion 
and  application  of  principles  studied  in  the  course. 

(N.  B. — Note  List  of  Approved  Books  in  Appendix.) 


49 


THE  TKAINI^^G  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 


TRAINING  BY  SCHOOLS  OF  METHODS,  CORRE- 
SPONDENCE, AND  GRADED  UNION 

History  of  the  School  of  Methods.  In  July,  1894, 
*'The  Summer  School  of  Primary  Methods"  met 
at  Asbury  Park,  New  Jersey,  under  State  Asso- 
ciation auspices.  It  invited  none  but  graded 
teachers,  and  offered  them  only  graded  help.  At 
its  third  annual  session  the  need  was  felt  for 
making  distinctions  by  grade  among  the  many 
subjects  of  Primary  Sunday  school  instruction 
which  had  hitherto  been  taught  to  the  children 
indiscriminately.  The  attendance  of  numerous 
Junior  teachers  and  superintendents  at  Asbury 
Park  led,  in  1899,  to  the  holding  of  a  separate 
Junior  Section  for  their  benefit,  with  Mrs.  M.  J. 
Kennedy  as  leader.  Since  those  early  days  the 
multiplication  of  summer  schools  for  graded  Sun- 
day school  teachers  has  gone  on.  Many  of  the 
schools  held  have  been  noteworthy  and  influential 
far  beyond  the  localities  to  which  they  have  min- 
istered. The  rapid  assimilation  of  the  Graded 
Lessons  is  traceable,  in  part,  to  the  silent  influ- 
ence of  these  seminnries  of  graded  thought  and 
rallying  points  of  graded  fellowship.  The  name 
"Summer  School"  has  been  associated  with  this 

50 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

work  almost  entirely,  but  owing  to  the  fact  that 
many  schools  are  now  held  in  the  winter  in  the 
cities,  the  name  "School  of  Methods"  has  been 
adopted  by  the  International  Committee  on  Edu- 
cation. There  has  been  a  steady  development  of 
the  schools  until,  in  1913,  there  were  about  thirty- 
six,  and  every  section  of  the  country  is  repre- 
sented in  one  of  these. 

The  Aim  of  the  School  of  Methods.  First,  to 
offer  instruction  in  the  principles  of  teaching, 
the  material,  and  methods  for  specialized  Sun- 
day school  work.  Its  work  has  been  confined  in 
large  measure  to  Primary  teachers  and  almost 
exclusively  to  elementary  workers,  but  with  the 
growth  of  departmental  organization,  instruction 
in  all  grades  and  departments  of  the  Sunday 
school  has  now  become  necessary,  and  the 
stronger  schools  invite  also  teachers  of  the  more 
advanced  grades.  Another  aim  is  to  initiate 
teachers  into  the  goodly  fellowship  of  Sunday 
school  workers  and  especially  into  the  grade  in 
which  their  own  teaching  is  done. 

Organization.  In  order  to  promote  and  main- 
tain such  a  school  successfully,  it  is  necessary  to 
find  a  few  men  and  women  of  real  vision  and 
determination,  and  to  enlist  them.  It  is  essential 
to  develop  a  local  nucleus,  however  small;  but 
it  is  also  important  to  secure  the  support  of  some 
State  Association,  city  organization,  or  denomi- 

51 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

national  board,  which  will  guarantee  the  support 
and  promote  the  interest  of  the  school.  Amid 
the  many  calls  to  recreation  and  the  multitude  of 
religious  and  educational  interests,  attendance 
at  such  schools  can  be  secured  only  by  most  care- 
ful and  persistent  methods  of  securing  enroll- 
ment. 

Committee.  An  independent  committee  which 
represents  the  interests  that  are  to  be  served  is 
essential.  It  is  the  duty  of  the  committee  to  de- 
termine the  policy  of  the  school,  to  outline  its 
program,  to  secure  its  instructors,  and  to  further 
its  interests  with  unceasing  energy.  In  the 
Asbury  Park  School  it  is  said  that  the  meetings 
of  this  committee  are  held  once  a  month  through- 
out the  year,  and  that  at  least  forty  hours  a  year 
are  given  to  the  preparation  of  the  program. 

Four  Types  of  School.  Three  of  these  types  are 
described  by  the  Rev.  E.  Morris  Fergusson  as 
follows : 

''The  first,  which  may  be  called  the  New 
Jersey  type,  is  interdenominational,  week-long, 
supported  by  a  State  Sunday  School  Association, 
but  drawing  together  an  inter-State  body  of  stu- 
dents, emphasizing  specialization,  maintaining 
itself  as  a  permanent  annual  institution,  and 
gathering  around  itself  an  ever-increasing  body 
of  alumni,  loyal  not  so  much  to  the  institution  as 
to  the  principles  and  ideals  for  which  it  stands. 

52 


TEACHERS  AND  OEEJCEKS 

Such  a  summer  school  is  far  more  than  an  insti- 
tute for  local  workers;  it  is  a  seminary  of  prog- 
ress, a  club  of  idealists,  a  base  of  operations  for 
the  continuous  carrying  on  of  a  campaign  of 
reform.  Every  one  of  the  summer  schools  which 
have  reached  this  standard  of  institutional  life 
for  as  much  as  three  consecutive  years  has  been 
a  positive  factor  in  the  development  and  a  special 
force  in  the  guidance  of  North  American  Sunday 
school  progress. 

''The  second  type  is  either  denominational  or 
interdenominational  and  is  held  on  the  grounds 
of  a  summer  assembly,  occupying  ten  days  or  two 
weeks  of  its  program,  adding  some  of  the  as- 
sembly's attractions  to  its  own  scheme  of  lectures 
and  section  work  and  placing  large  emphasis  on 
recreation,  popular  attractions,  and  famil}^  vaca- 
tion life. 

"The  third  type  is  the  institute  summer  school, 
which  may  be  either  denominational,  interde- 
nominational, or  personal.  The  essential  char- 
acteristic of  this  type  of  school  is  direct  control 
on  the  part  of  the  supporting  interest.  The  Exec- 
utive Committee,  through  the  general  secretary 
or  a  small  subcommittee  of  business  men,  decides 
where  and  when  the  school  shall  be  held,  engages 
a  force  of  lecturers  and  section  leaders,  gets  out 
the  advertising,  and  holds  the  school.  The  speak- 
ers chosen  represent  the  Executive  Committee's 

53 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

ideas  as  to  what  the  students  of  that  school 
ought  to  be  given.  No  serious  effort  is  made  to 
elicit,  develop,  and  organize  the  public  opinion 
of  the  student  body,  or  to  encourage  the  sur- 
rounding churches  to  think  of  the  summer  school 
as  their  own  Sunday  school  university,  and  to 
make  it  from  year  to  year  a  part  of  their  regular 
Sunday  school  life." 

The  fourth  type  is  the  school  of  methods  held 
in  the  city  in  the  autumn  or  winter.  Within  the 
last  two  or  three  years  a  number  of  cities  have 
tried  the  organization  of  schools  of  methods  in 
the  autumn  or  winter.  They  have  found  it  pos- 
sible to  call  together  during  a  week  two  or  three 
hundred,  or  even  more,  of  their  officers  and  teach- 
ers. They  have  secured  specialists  in  each  de- 
partment of  the  school  from  the  best  talent  of  the 
land,  and  have  developed  a  unity  of  purpose  for 
the  schools  of  a  city,  and  have  elevated  the  stand- 
ards for  each  department,  and  have  sent  back 
many  workers  to  the  local  churches  with  far 
higher  ideals  of  service.  The  late  afternoon  and 
evening  hours  are  often  the  only  ones  in  which 
it  is  possible  to  secure  a  large  attendance ;  but  by 
providing  dinner  or  luncheon  at  reasonable 
price,  the  busy  teachers  from  stores,  offices,  shops, 
and  homes  assemble  for  four  or  five  hours  of 
earnest  work. 

Enrollment  and  Expenses.  Plans  for  enrollment 
54 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

should  begin  some  months  in  advance,  through 
the  announcements  of  the  school  and  corre- 
spondence. It  is,  however,  usually'  impossible  to 
obtain  a  full  list  of  prosj)ective  students  until 
the  opening  of  the  school.  The  expenses  are  met 
in  part  by  fees  paid  by  students,  usually  one 
dollar  each.  As  these  will  not  meet  all  expenses, 
however,  the  committee  must  be  prepared  to 
stand  financially  responsible. 

The  Program.  The  first  important  step  is  to 
determine  the  needs  of  the  field.  There  must  be 
a  clear  objective  and  a  careful  survey  of  actual 
condition.  With  this  information  and  these  high 
ideals  in  mind,  the  program  should  be  carefully 
outlined  some  months  in  advance,  and  the  sub- 
jects should  be  placed  before  speakers.  It  should 
be  determined  with  great  care  who  should  meet 
the  Beginners,  the  Primary  workers,  and  offer 
real  leadership  for  each  department  of  the  school. 
Hard  work  should  be  expected  and  the  program 
made  so  complete  that  there  shall  be  no  waste 
time.  This  is  not  a  time  for  lectures  and 
speeches,  but  a  school  for  earnest  work.  The 
central  aim  has  always  been  to  fit  teachers  for 
the  different  departments  of  the  school,  to  de- 
velop teaching  talent,  and  to  fit  local  leaders  for 
the  responsibility^  in  their  churches.  No  appeal 
is  so  strong  as  the  assurance  that  there  will  be 
thorough    lesson   planning   and   real   study,   and 

55 


THE  TRAIN1:N'G  of  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

that  the  instruction  will  be  iu  the  hands  of  tried 
and  successful  teachers. 

General  and  Special  Periods.  There  should  be 
one  or  more  hours  each  day  in  which  the  school 
meets  together.  The  Bible  study,  which  must  be 
part  of  every  school  program,  is  best  adapted  to 
this  assembly  hour,  and  this  should  be  not  only 
inspirational  and  devotional  in  spirit  but  have 
especially  in  view  the  use  of  the  Bible  in  teach- 
ing. With  this  specific  study,  the  profit  which 
always  comes  from  thorough  and  devout  atten- 
tion to  its  pages  will  be  found,  but  there  will  be 
the  more  direct  object  offered  teachers,  and  they 
will  go  away  enriched  with  a  view  of  the  use  of 
the  Bible  in  their  own  departments  given  them 
by  a  master  interpreter. 

The  following  is  the  standard  adopted  by  the 
Educational  Committee  for  a  School  of  Methods : 

1.  That  the  faculty  and  program  of  the  proposed  school 

be   taken    up    for   approval   by    this   committee   on 
recommendation  of  the  State  Association. 

2.  That   the    program    of   the   school    provide   for   each 

student  not  less  than  four  hours  of  work  daily,  for 
five  days. 

3.  That  the  subjects  on  which  instruction  shall  be  given 

shall  be  at  least  the  three  following: 
The  Bible; 

The  science  and  art  of  teaching; 
Sunday   school   management   and   methods;    and 
That  there   shall   be  at  least   five  periods   of   forty 
minutes  each. 

56 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

4.  That  the  program  provide  instruction  for  at  least  two 

of  the  recognized  grades  of  the  Sunday  school. 
(This  is  interpreted  by  the  committee  to  mean  that 
instruction  shall  be  offered  in  these  grades  during 
five  days.) 

5.  The  standard  for  the  certificate  shall  be: 

(a)  Attendance  of  the  student  on  at  least  fifteen  hours 
of  the  work.  (In  order  to  secure  certificate,  the 
student  shall  complete  work  of  five  periods  in 
at  least  two  departments  other  than  Bible 
study;  one  of  these,  however,  may  be  taken  in 
general  study  of  child  nature.) 

(&)  Recommendation  by  the  management  of  the 
school,  based  upon  approval  of  notebooks  or 
such  other  examinations  as  they  may  require. 

(c)  Report  by  the  management  of  enrollment  by 
grades  and  attendance,  according  to  form  fur- 
nished by  the  committee. 

This  standard  is  considered  only  tentative,  not 
final  nor  satisfactory.  With  the  more  careful 
work  in  the  establishment  of  schools  upon  a 
better  basis,  it  will  be  found  advisable  to  offer  a 
course  extending  through  three  or  four  years  in 
the  schools  which  have  attracted  a  regular  at- 
tendance. Indeed,  in  a  number  of  cases,  there 
has  been  a  falling  off  on  account  of  the  fact  that 
there  has  been  no  advance  in  the  program  of 
the  school — the  same  courses  are  offered  year 
by  year  and  the  attempt  is  made  to  attract 
students  simply  by  a  change  of  teachers.  A 
steady    development    in    the    course    alone    will 

57 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

command  the  interest  of  those  who  are  sincere 
students.  The  work  heretofore  has  been  nearly 
all  confined  to  the  elementary  teachers.  To 
develop  interest  in  the  Intermediate  and  Senior 
departments  and  the  adult  work,  a  far  wider 
range  of  instruction  must  be  offered.  Classes 
for  teachers  of  Intermediate  boys  and  girls, 
for  Senior  students  and  various  types  of  adult 
classes  are  everywhere  needed.  Coaching  classes 
under  expert  leaders  for  teachers  of  training 
classes  should  be  formed  where  instruction  re- 
garding the  methods  of  work  and  discussion  of 
problems  could  be  offered. 

COEEESPONDENCE   COUBSES 

Teaching  by  correspondence  has  proved  successful  by 
actual  experiment  to  such  a  degree  that  more  than 
thirty  universities  are  now  offering  extension  work  by 
this  method.  Classroom  work  has  certain  marked  ad- 
vantages, and  yet  teaching  by  mail  employs  the  spare 
time  of  the  student,  enables  him  to  work  at  home,  and 
develops  self-reliance.  Each  lesson  can  be  criticized  by 
the  teacher.  Many  students  and  teachers  in  the  Sunday 
school  who  cannot  attend  training  classes,  or  who  are 
unable  to  secure  instruction  in  the  more  advanced  work, 
can  now  avail  themselves  of  courses  by  correspondence. 
A  number  of  denominational  boards  are  offering  ex- 
tended courses  with  careful  supervision  of  the  work. 
Full  information  will  be  given  on  application. 

The  Board  of  Sunday  Schools  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal  Church   is   offering  six   courses   of  study   by   cor- 

58 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

respondence  to  meet  the  wants  of  teachers  in  the  dif- 
ferent departments  of  the  school,  including  a  special 
course  for  superintendents.  Each  course  consists  of 
three  textbooks,  and  the  courses  are  conducted  by  means 
of  printed  instruction  sheets.  The  department  of  Edu- 
cation of  the  American  Baptist  Publication  Society  offers 
its  courses  by  the  correspondence  method  under  the 
direct  instruction  of  the  secretary  of  the  board.  The 
Sunday  school  boards  of  other  denominations  make 
provision  for  special  cases,  but  have  not  as  yet  announced 
definite  plans  for  correspondence  work.  They  stand 
ready,  however,  to  assist  students  who  can  take  work 
only  by  correspondence. 

The  American  Institute  of  Sacred  Literature  is  a  de- 
partment of  the  Chicago  University,  and  offers  a  full 
series  of  teacher-training  courses.  These  are:  (1)  A 
course  upon  the  Origin  and  Religious  Teaching  of  the 
Old  Testament  Books,  giving  a  careful,  rapid  survey  of 
the  Old  Testament;  (2)  A  similar  course  on  the  New 
Testament;  (3)  A  course  in  Pedagogical  Principles  for 
Sunday  School  Teachers. 

The  Hartford  School  of  Religious  Pedagogy,  Hartford, 
Connecticut,  offers  correspondence  courses  for  Sunday 
school  workers,  ministers,  and  others.  It  is  intended 
that  these  courses  shall  stand  for  real  work  and  furnish 
that  which  will  be  both  a  benefit  in  itself  and  a  sugges- 
tion of  the  greater  advantages  that  are  available  in  the 
full  course  of  study  at  the  school.  Twenty  lessons  are 
offered  in  each  course,  and  these  are  so  planned  that, 
if  a  student  can  give  four  or  five  hours  a  week  to  the 
subject,  he  may  finish  the  course  within  the  school  year. 
For  the  completion  of  not  less  than  three  courses  a  year, 
through  a  period  of  two  years,  a  diploma  will  be  given. 
The  courses  offered  are:  The  Bible;  Christian  Doctrine; 
Church    History;    Psychology    (covering    Genetic    Psy- 

59 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

chology  and  the  Psychology  of  Religion);  Pedagogy 
(covering  Elements  of  Religious  Pedagogy  and  Stories 
and  Story-Telling  in  Moral  and  Religious  Education) ; 
and  Home  Economics. 

Graded  Unions 

A  Graded  Union  is  an  organization  of  the  Sunday 
school  teachers  of  a  city  or  town,  and  is  usually  affili- 
ated with  the  city  or  county  Sunday  school  association. 
Its  object  is  to  provide  mutual  acquaintance  by  Chris- 
tian fellowship  and  prayer,  to  study  courses  recom- 
mended for  specialization,  to  stimulate  active  interest 
in  the  study  of  children  and  all  that  pertains  to  their 
development,  physical,  mental,  moral,  and  spiritual,  to 
discuss  topics  relating  to  the  work  and  to  confer  about 
problems  and  needs,  to  provide  for  the  exposition  and 
presentation  of  Sunday  school  lessons  for  the  various 
departments  represented,  and  to  assist  in  all  movements 
which  will  further  the  work  of  the  Sunday  school. 

There  are  at  the  present  time  two  hundred  such  unions 
in  the  United  States,  enrolling  about  seventy-five  hun- 
dred teachers.  The  elementary  teachers  alone  were  in- 
terested in  these  unions  until  recently.  Now  teachers  of 
Intermediate  classes,  and  in  a  few  instances  teachers 
of  adult  classes  have  united  in  the  work,  and  the  scope 
is  continually  enlarging.  These  unions  meet  once  a 
week,  except  during  vacation  season;  a  few  are  biweekly, 
and  in  certain  of  the  smaller  towns  only  a  monthly 
meeting  is  held.  In  several  of  the  larger  cities,  in  ad- 
dition to  the  regular  afternoon  meeting,  an  evening 
session  of  the  union  is  provided  to  accommodate  those 
who  cannot  attend  the  afternoon  hour. 

The  usual  type  of  graded  union  has  officers  and  five 
permanent  committees — Devotional,  Membership,  In- 
struction, Music,  and  Social — in  addition  to  the  Execu- 

60 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

tive  Committee.  It  is  expected  to  hold  an  institute  each 
year.  Since  the  adoption  of  the  Graded  Lessons,  interest 
in  unions  has  been  constantly  growing.  In  many  of 
them  one  period  is  given  to  a  teacher-training  lesson, 
and  specialization  in  story-telling  and  practice  teaching 
are  part  of  the  regular  program. 


61 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 


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TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 


VI 
THE  CITY  TRAINING  SCHOOL 

History.  Within  the  past  four  years  the  city 
training  school  has  passed  the  experimental 
stage  and  become  a  definite  institution  for  the 
training  of  Sunday  school  officers  and  teachers. 
This  movement  began  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  in 
response  to  the  need  of  a  large  number  of  teach- 
ers of  training  classes,  and  proved  so  effective 
that  it  was  soon  taken  up  by  a  number  of  other 
cities.  Des  Moines,  Denver,  Lincoln,  Seattle, 
Hartford,  Cincinnati,  Fort  Worth,  New  Orleans, 
and  Edmonton  are  among  the  cities  in  which 
schools  have  been  organized  and  conducted  with 
success. 

Aims.     Its  chief  purposes  are: 

(1)  To  fit  teachers  of  training  classes  for  spe- 
cific duties  in  their  own  churches, 

(2)  To  present  the  most  efiicient  plans  of  or- 
ganization and  methods  of  management  to  super- 
intendents and  officers. 

(3)  To  place  the  most  practical  methods  of 
teaching  approved  by  modern  education,  so  far 
as  they  apply  to  the  Sunday  school,  within  the 
reach  of  the  teachers. 

(4)  To  provide  special  training  for  the  teach- 
ers of  each  department  of  the  Sunday  school. 

63 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

Organization.  The  preliminary  organization  of 
the  Training  School  is  effected : 

(1)  Through  a  Council  composed  of  one  or 
more  representatives  from  each  Sunday  school 
of  the  city.  This  Council  is  a  permanent  body, 
holding  meetings  at  least  once  a  quarter,  and 
determines  the  general  policy  and  plans  of  the 
school.  The  existing  organizations,  such  as  the 
County  or  City  Sunday  School  Association,  the 
Ministers'  Union,  the  Graded  Union,  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association,  and  the  Young 
Women's  Christian  Association,  should  be  con- 
sulted and  asked  to  cooperate. 

(2)  Through  the  oi3Scers  of  the  school.  The 
Council  shall  name  the  Executive  Committee  of 
five  who  shall  be  representative  of  the  best  inter- 
ests of  religious  education,  and  a  principal,  or 
dean,  who  shall  be  a  member  of  the  Executive 
Committee.  In  addition,  there  shall  be  a  presi- 
dent, vice-president,  secretary,  and  treasurer. 
This  Executive  Committee  shall  choose  the 
faculty  of  the  school,  and  in  consultation  with 
its  teachers  select  all  text  and  reference  books. 

Instructors.  These  may  be:  College  professors, 
public  school  teachers,  successful  Sunday  school 
teachers,  ministers,  Bible  students,  and  men  and 
women  of  marked  fitness  and  interest.  There  is 
little  difficulty  in  finding  instructors  in  any  city 

64 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

or  town.     The  work  of  these  instructors  in  the 
school  itself  is  usually  voluntary. 

Expenses.  A  fee  of  |1  or  |2  for  each  student  is 
charged  to  meet  the  incidental  expenses  of  the 
Institute.  The  Sunday  schools  in  some  cases  pay 
the  fees  for  their  own  students. 

Place  of  Meeting.  The  school  is  held  at  some 
central  church,  Association  building,  or  other 
convenient  place.  It  is  necessary  that  there 
should  be  a  central  hall  with  a  number  of  con- 
venient classrooms  which  can  be  readily  equipped 
for  teaching  purposes.  In  the  equipment  each 
room  should  be  provided  with  blackboard  and 
facilities  for  use  of  maps.  Students  should  be 
expected  to  purchase  textbooks  and  provide 
themselves  with  notebooks  of  uniform  size. 

Reference  Library.  Books  for  reference  are 
absolutely  essential.  If  owned  by  individual 
members,  they  should  be  made  available  in  some 
systematic  way  to  all.  If  purchased  by  the 
school,  they  should  be  under  the  care  of  a  faithful 
librarian.  The  city  library  will  frequently  place 
the  needed  books  at  the  disposal  of  students. 
The  careful  choice  of  books  is  more  important 
than  the  purchase  of  a  large  number. 

Time.  Either  the  term  or  semester  periods  may 
be  used.  The  school  should  open  with  the  begin- 
ning of  the  public  school  year,  and  should  plan 
for  at  least  thirty  weeks  of  work  aside  from  exam- 

65 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

inations  and  general  exercises.  The  year  may 
either  be  divided  into  three  terms  of  eleven  or 
twelve  weeks  each,  or  into  two  semesters  of  six- 
teen weeks  each.  Careful  provision  should  be 
made  for  vacations  at  holidays  and  summer  sea- 
son. It  should  be  made  clear  that  this  is  a 
school  with  regular  sessions,  and  that  nothing 
is  allowed  to  interfere  with  its  regular  program. 
Its  work  is  steady,  not  incidental. 

Periods.  The  meetings  are  held  one  evening  a 
week,  and  the  work  of  each  evening  is  divided 
into  two  periods.  The  first  is  the  lecture  period 
of  forty-five  minutes  in  which  the  school  meets 
in  a  body.  The  program  consists  of  opening  wor- 
ship, announcement,  and  the  lecture  of  the  eve- 
ning. The  lecturer  should  be  expected  to  submit 
outlines  wherever  possible;  this  should  be  done 
at  the  expense  of  the  school.  The  lectures  should 
be  educational  and  in  series,  with  occasional  in- 
spirational lectures.  Lecturers  of  reputation  in 
the  denominational  or  undenominational  work, 
with  other  educational  leaders,  should  be  invited 
from  time  to  time  to  give  general  views  of  move- 
ments and  methods  in  religious  education.  The 
second  is  the  classroom  period,  also  of  forty-five 
minutes,  in  which  the  members  of  the  school  meet 
in  the  classes  in  which  they  haA'e  enrolled.  The 
number  of  classes  is  determined  by  the  size  of  the 
school,  the  needs  of  its  members,  and  the  available 

66 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

instructors.  The  aim  should  be  (even  though  the 
classes  are  small)  to  offer  instruction  for  each 
department  of  the  Sunday  school. 

Courses  of  Study.  In  the  first  period  the  lec- 
tures should  be  given  upon  the  historical  aspect 
of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  principles  and 
methods  of  education,  study  of  child  nature.  In 
the  classroom  work  the  different  departments  of 
the  school  should  receive  careful  attention.  If 
possible,  the  three  departments  of  the  elementary 
division  should  be  represented — Beginners,  Pri- 
mary, and  Junior.  In  the  secondary  division  there 
should  be  classes  for  teachers  of  Intermediate 
boys  and  Intermediate  girls  and  classes  of  Senior 
pupils.  There  should  also  be  one  or  more  classes 
for  teachers  of  adult  classes.  A  separate  class 
should  be  organized  for  officers  and  superintend- 
ents. This  should  be  a  class  especially  devoted 
not  only  to  study  but  to  free  discussion  of  school 
problems.  One  of  the  most  important  classes 
which  should  be  maintained  in  every  school  is  the 
coaching  class  for  teachers  of  training  classes. 
In  this  the  teachers  of  the  young  students 
meeting  at  the  Sunday  school  hour  can  be 
trained  in  normal  methods,  and  given  opportunity 
for  careful  study  and  free  discussion.  Classes 
should  also  be  organized  in  Bible  study  for  the 
study  of  the  Bible,  not  only  its  historical  out- 
lines, its  characters  and  messages  of  its  books, 

67 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

but  also  for  a  study  of  the  teaching  values  of 
the  Bible. 

Use  of  Graded  Lessons.  In  all  of  these  classes 
the  different  series  of  the  Graded  Lessons  should 
be  used  as  illustrative  material,  but  no  class 
should  be  devoted  to  the  study  of  the  next  Sun- 
day's lesson.  This  is  a  school  for  the  study  of 
methods  and  their  proper  principles,  and  should 
not  be  conducted  as  a  teachers'  meeting. 

Enrollment.  Care  and  diligence  in  securing  en- 
rollment are  essential  to  the  success  of  the  school. 
The  committee  appointed  by  the  Council  should 
begin  this  work  some  weeks  in  advance  and  secure 
the  interest  of  some  person  in  each  Sunday  school 
in  the  city. 

The  Duty  of  the  Secretary.  He  should  keep  a 
record  for  each  member  of  the  school  as  follows : 

1.  Name  and  address  and  church. 

2.  Position  and  present  work  in  Sunday  school. 

3.  Record  of  attendance  on  training  school, 
grades,  etc. 

Curriculum,  Examinations,  and  Grades.  The 
school  will  usually  succeed  best  by  conforming  to 
the  standards  which  have  been  adopted  by  other 
schools.  While  there  must  be  Avide  variety,  still 
an  approach  to  a  standard  curriculum  which  has 
been  wrought  out  with  care  and  from  the  expe- 
rience of  many  schools  will  give  strength  and 
stability  to  the  work  of  the  school.     A  definite 

68 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

goal  in  certificates  or  diplomas  will  be  found  an 
invaluable  incentive  to  regularity  and  thorough- 
ness of  work.  Examinations  should  be  given  at 
the  close  of  each  term  or  semester.  Seventy  per 
cent  is  the  passing  grade  on  the  whole  course. 
Examinations  should  be  conducted  by  the  teach- 
ers under  the  supervision  of  the  principal  and 
Executive  Committee. 

Suggestions  for  Leaders.  Begin  and  end 
promptly.  Nourish  the  religious  spirit.  Let 
every  meeting  open  with  prayer  and  every  class 
close  with  prayer.  Set  high  standards.  Lay  con- 
stant emphasis  upon  home  study.  The  work  can 
never  be  done  successfully  without  systematic 
consecration  of  time  for  preparation  each  week. 
Make  careful  assignments  of  reading  by  pages  or 
chapters;  call  attention  beforehand  to  matters  of 
special  importance  or  difficulty,  and  then  make 
certain  that  the  reading  is  actually  done.  Re- 
ports on  practice  and  observation  work  should 
be  regularly  assigned  and  discussed  in  class. 
Appeal  to  the  higher  motives.  Let  the  dignity 
and  value  of  the  work  of  the  teacher  of  religion 
to  the  Church  and  the  nation  ever  stand  forth  in 
its  true  nobility. 

Value  of  the  School.  This  plan  for  giving  sys- 
tem and  common  strength  to  the  work  of  reli- 
gious education  is  not  for  the  large  city  alone. 
The  large  city  is  the  very  difficult  field,  but  the 

69 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

smaller  cities  and  the  towns  may  carry  out  its 
work  with  equal  value  if  only  the  leadership  and 
unity  of  spirit  are  available.  Fifty  persons  who 
will  enroll  with  a  pledge  of  fidelity  in  their 
hearts  can  give  their  own  schools  a  higher  edu- 
cational rating,  and  their  own  lives  the  joy  that 
comes  from  a  new  vision  of  success  in  labor  for 
the  Kingdom.  The  fresh  impulse  from  new  books, 
counsel,  and  study  with  fellow  workers  will  give 
a  zest  to  many  a  tired  teacher  and  new  courage 
to  many  a  lagging  leader. 

The  Professional  Spirit  should  be  cultivated 
among  Sunday  school  teachers.  The  dignity  of 
their  work  and  pride  in  its  success  should  be  nour- 
ished through  the  studies  and  discussions  of  the 
school.  The  fellowship  of  workers  separated  by 
location  and  denomination  will  be  found  one  of 
its  most  helpful  features.  The  sense  of  unity  in 
a  great  work  should  always  be  inspiring.  The 
study  of  community  problems  in  the  assembly 
period  should  give  the  united  body  of  workers  a 
chance  to  view  the  whole  city  as  a  field  of  service 
and  to  discuss  prayerfully  the  best  methods  of 
enabling  the  Sunday  school  to  reach  its  full  re- 
sponsibility for  the  religious  education  of  all 
childhood  and  youth. 

Extension  Work  can  sometimes  be  carried  on  to 
advantage  in  various  parts  of  the  city  under  the 
direction    of    the    Executive    Committee    of    the 

70 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

school.  Classes  may  thus  be  organized  which 
meet  at  a  separate  time  and  place.  It  should  also 
promote  plans  for  advancing  the  standards  and 
uplifting  the  ideals  of  Sunday  school  work  in  the 
whole  city. 


71 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 


VII 

TRAINING  FOR  WORK  IN  THE  COUNTRY  SUNDAY 
SCHOOL 

The  Country  Sunday  School  an  Overlooked  Force. 
''There  is  no  single  factor  of  righteousness  in 
civilization  which  can  be  more  effective  than  the 
country  church,"  says  Gifford  Pinchot.  "In  the 
coming  reconstruction  of  country  life,"  it  is  said 
by  another  writer,  ''there  is  no  agency  that  can 
fill  the  place  of  the  church."  The  remarkable 
interest  in  the  country  problem  which  has  been 
manifested  in  recent  conventions,  commissions, 
and  volumes  indicates  the  seriousness  of  the 
problem  and  the  earnestness  of  the  men  who  are 
seeking  answers  for  its  difficulties.  It  is  agreed 
by  leaders  in  this  movement  in  recent  years  that 
the  country  church  is  rather  a  conserving  force 
than  an  active  one,  that  in  the  rapid  changes  in 
social  and  industrial  life  the  country  church  has 
suffered  very  serious  loss.  In  many  communities 
this  amounts  to  paralysis.  In  many  it  is  the  loss 
of  numbers,  in  many  it  is  the  loss  of  vitality  and 
leadership.  It  is  a  singular  thing  that  in  study- 
ing the  many  volumes  and  numerous  articles 
written  by  earnest  students  of  the  country-life 
problem,  the  Sunday  school  is  almost  overlooked. 

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TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

In  the  volume  on  the  Rural  Church,  in  the  report 
of  The  Men  and  Religion  Movement,  one  will  find 
a  few  allusions  to  the  Sunday  school,  and  in  the 
last  article  there  is  mention  of  a  teacher-training 
class,  of  which  the  author  has  a  record,  which 
ten  years  ago  did  some  really  effective  work; 
but  the  Sunday  school  as  the  teaching  agency  of 
the  Church  is  passed  by  in  neglect;  scarcely  once 
in  fifty  pages  is  it  even  mentioned.  Why  is  this 
blindness?  Because  these  men  have  not  given 
practical  study  to  the  working  of  the  Church, 
because  they  have  not  considered  carefully  the 
forces  of  religious  education,  because  they  have 
thought  of  the  Church  simply  as  an  organization 
for  preaching  and  have  been  fertile  only  in  sug- 
gesting social  possibilities. 

The  Sunday  School  Holds  the  Key  to  the  Country 
Church  Problem.  It  has  a  complete  organization 
for  reaching  the  whole  country  life.  It  has  the 
Home  Visitation  Department  for  survey  and 
gathering  information,  the  Home  Department, 
the  Cradle  Roll,  organized  classes  for  boys  and 
girls  with  week-day  activities,  and  adult  classes 
for  men  and  women  with  opportunity  for  discus- 
sion and  organization  for  leadership.  It  has  the 
spirit  of  devotion  and  the  method  of  instruction. 
The  true  Sunday  school  is  the  most  flexible, 
adaptable,  and  aggressive  institution  of  the  com- 
munity.    It  uses  the  Sabbath  and  the  week  day, 

73 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

it  appeals  to  all  ages  and  is  organized  both  to 
study  the  problems  of  the  Christian  life  and  to 
apply  them  straightway  in  daily  living.  The 
Sunday  school  is  readily  brought  into  unity  with 
other  organizations.  The  lesson  studied  is  com- 
mon to  all  churches,  the  form  of  organization  is 
fairly  uniform  throughout  the  chuches,  and  there 
is  in  every  State  and  in  nearly  every  county  an 
interdenominational  association.  In  no  other 
form  of  activity  have  churches  ever  worked  to- 
gether with  such  harmony  and  success  as  in  the 
conventions,  institutes,  and  social  gatherings  of 
the  Sunday  schools. 

Why  the  Training  Class  Should  Lead  the  Way. 
The  training  class  is,  in  most  country  churches, 
the  only  group  organized  for  the  study  of  prob- 
lems within  the  local  church.  Its  true  scope  is, 
therefore,  far  wider  than  the  mere  training  of 
Sunday  school  teachers.  It  may  include,  with 
great  profit,  a  survey  of  the  conditions  in  local 
life  which  hinder  religious  education,  and  an 
endeavor  to  suggest  the  best  remedies  for  the 
evils  and  to  inspire  and  train  leaders  for  specific 
service  in  the  various  Christian  activities  that 
have  suffered  by  neglect. 

It  must  be  a  class  with  a  broad  purpose.  It 
should  study  the  Bible,  but  also  how  to  teach  the 
Bible  to  particular  ages  and  under  special  condi- 
tions.   It  must  study  the  child,  for  the  knowledge 

74 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

of  child  life  is  just  as  much  needed  for  the  teacher 
of  the  small  as  for  the  teacher  of  the  large  class. 
But  it  must  study  also  the  home,  the  community, 
the  public  school,  and  local  religious  problems 
as  a  whole,  for  its  aim  is  to  change  conditions  by 
broad-minded,  intelligent  leadership. 

The  Class  of  Students.  Every  country  church 
should  have  a  training  class  of  students  meeting 
at  the  Sunday  school  hour.  This  may  be  a  small 
class,  possibly  only  four  or  five  in  number,  but 
it  may  be  a  real  class  upon  whose  work  much 
of  the  future  of  the  school  depends.  Their  work 
will  be  an  elementary  course,  using  the  usual 
Bible  outlines  and  studies  in  child  life  and 
methods  of  teaching,  but,  in  addition,  the  appro- 
priate task  for  such  a  class  is  the  study  of  the 
organization  and  occupations  of  boys  and  girls 
in  their  teens.  Let  them  begin  with  a  survey, 
that  is,  a  careful  counting  of  numbers  and  study 
of  real  conditions  about  them.  Let  them  ask  how 
many  boys  there  are  in  the  neighborhood  between 
thirteen  and  eighteen,  how  many  are  members  of 
the  church,  how  many  attend  Sunday  school,  how 
many  are  in  day  school,  how  many  are  at  work 
away  from  home,  how  many  are  living  in  their 
own  homes?  Then  let  them  ask  the  same  ques- 
tions regarding  girls:  the  number  of  girls  in  the 
neighborhood,  the  number  in  Sunday  school,  the 
number  in   day   school,   the  number   away  from 

75 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

home,  the  number  living  in  their  own  homes.  In 
this  way,  they  really  tind  the  most  important 
problems  with  which  they  have  to  deal.  Then  let 
them  ask  what  recreation,  what  amusements, 
what  moral  influences  surround  these  young 
people?  How  do  these  boys  and  girls  of  the  teen 
age  spend  their  Sundaj^s?  Then  let  them  make 
a  study  of  possible  activities,  such  as  baseball, 
basketball,  football,  tennis,  camps  and  picnics, 
boating,  fishing,  bird  study,  winter  sports,  cam- 
eras, singing  schools,  lectures,  concerts,  and  the 
like.  Let  them  ask  what  the  churches  are 
doing,  what  the  day  schools  and  other  organiza- 
tions are  doing  for  the  young.  By  correspond- 
ence, by  inquiry,  and  by  careful  study  of  the 
local  situation,  let  them  be  prepared  to  make 
recommendations  to  the  church  and  to  assume 
some  positive  leadership  in  such  work.  They 
can  suggest  to  the  organized  classes  or  depart- 
ment for  the  teen  years  possible  lines  of  activities 
and  offer  guidance  and  friendship.  All  of  this 
lies  within  the  real  scope  of  a  training  class,  for 
this  is  a  class  whose  work  is  far  more  than  the 
studying  of  lessons  from  a  book.  It  is  a  class 
that  is  studying  how  to  win  to  Christ  and  build 
up  Christian  character,  how  to  make  the  church 
efficient  and  how  to  promote  Christian  living  in 
the  whole  community. 
The  Class  of  Teachers  and  Officers.  Can  a  train- 
76 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

ing  class  of  teachers  and  officers  prosper  in  a 
country  church?  The  question  is,  Is  it  prac- 
ticable? It  is  always  needed;  that  is  conceded 
everywhere.  It  is  not  easy.  The  country  is  a 
busy  place.  There  are  special  difficulties,  but 
they  are  not  greater  difficulties  than  city  people 
meet,  who  out  of  intense  lives  take  time  for  spe- 
cial preparation  in  religious  leadership.  This 
training  class  should  study  the  country  life,  be- 
cause it  is  frequently  the  only  adult  group  study- 
ing the  problems  of  the  church,  and  it  must  study 
the  things  that  are  vital  to  the  church.  In  addi- 
tion to  the  ordinary  studies  of  a  training  course 
to  which  it  should  give  careful  attention,  there 
should  be  some  time — a  part  of  each  evening,  or 
a  number  of  the  evenings — devoted  to  the  study 
of  country-life  problems.  To  this  end,  there 
should  be  a  small  library  of  carefully  chosen 
books.  Literature  upon  this  important  subject  is 
growing,  and  assignment  and  report  of  reference 
reading  will  make  every  session  full  of  interest. 
Begin  the  study  in  order  to  recommend  service 
to  the  whole  church.  Make  a  study  of  the  com- 
munity and  ascertain  facts  by  use  of  the  home 
visitation  plan  for  neighborhood,  township,  and 
county.  This  brings  exact  facts  of  church  mem- 
bership, the  number  of  children  and  adults, 
within  the  possession  of  the  class.  Then  let  them 
ask  such  questions  as  these:  What  are  the  church 

77 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

conditions  compared  with  ten  or  twenty  years 
ago?  Why?  What  are  the  social  and  moral  con- 
ditions compared  with  ten  or  twenty  years  ago, 
and  why?  How  many  people  within  the  neigh- 
borhood live  in  their  own  homes  ?  How  many  are 
members  of  churches?  What  are  the  community 
problems  in  which  the  church  is  vitally  inter- 
ested, and  in  which  it  ought  to  lead?  What  are 
the  conditions  of  law  enforcement?  What  is  the 
condition  of  the  roads?  What  social  center  is 
there?  What  is  the  efficiency  of  the  public 
school?  What  can  the  church  do  alone?  What 
can  it  do  in  federation  with  other  churches? 
What  can  the  churches  do  in  cooperation  with 
other  agencies?  The  problems  of  the  individual 
church — its  finances,  its  grounds,  its  furnishings, 
its  Sunday  school  equipment,  its  music — all  these 
problems  should  be  studied,  with  recommenda- 
tions to  the  church  and  to  the  adult  class  or 
classes.  This  would  represent  the  work  of  months, 
but  once  entered  upon,  these  topics  would  prove 
of  fresh  and  ever-increasing  interest. 

The  Small  School.  The  country  churches  them- 
selves must  furnish  the  men  to  lead  the  way  to 
this  moral  and  spiritual  betterment.  The  country 
is  not  deficient  in  strong  characters.  Of  that 
vigorous  and  versatile  life  which  wins  success 
in  all  lines  of  business  and  professions  the 
country  has  furnished  far  more  than  its  share. 

78 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

It  has  sent  to  the  city  great  numbers  of  men  who 
have  reached  wealth  and  power.  Ofttimes,  how- 
ever, the  country  life  is  sadly  deficient  in  organ- 
ization. The  churches  are  small  and  struggling; 
they  are  doing  much,  but  many  of  the  citizens 
even  in  small  communities  are  not  reached.  The 
churches  do  not  unify  the  interests,  nor  meet  the 
needs  for  social  life.  The  buildings  are  open  one 
or  two  hours  a  week,  and  the  workers  have  little 
thought  of  adapting  to  the  country  the  methods 
for  the  church  or  the  Sunday  school  which  are 
found  essential  in  town  and  city  churches.  "I 
hold,"  says  Professor  Butterfield,  "that  the  prob- 
lem of  the  country  church  is  the  most  important 
aspect  of  the  rural  problem.  And  yet,"  he  adds, 
"I  do  not  happen  to  know  a  rural  church  with  a 
program  of  work  that  represents  a  really  live 
attack  upon  the  problems  of  rural  civilization." 
The  betterment  of  country  life  can  come  only 
through  those  who  find  it  a  congenial  and  satis- 
factory field  for  service.  The  Country  Life  Com- 
mission was  wise  in  placing  a  large  responsibility 
upon  the  country  minister,  but  a  larger  vision  of 
Christian  service  must  be  given  to  the  layman 
as  well.  The  i)roblem  is,  at  last,  the  training  of 
leaders.  The  need  is  felt,  the  material  is  at  hand, 
but  aim,  vision,  and  organization  are  wanting. 

The  Training  Class  Must  Study  the  Problem  of 
the  Small  School.    The  small  school  offers  so  many 

79 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

distinct  questions  that  it  may  be  considered  as  a 
problem  in  itself.  Much  of  the  literature  regard- 
ing Sunday  school  methods  and  organization  is 
adapted  to  the  larger  schools  and  better-equipped 
buildings.  Many  of  the  addresses  heard  in  con- 
ventions and  institutes  are  applicable  to  the  larger 
numbers  and  more  favorable  conditions  of  Sun- 
day school  life.  From  them  the  teacher  in  the 
small  Sunday  school  frequently  turns  away  in 
despair.  Too  often  the  worker  considers  all  plans 
suggested  impracticable,  or,  indeed,  impossible  in 
the  school  of  smaller  numbers,  and  yet  the  average 
enrollment  of  the  schools  of  America  is  ninety-five. 
Three  fourths  of  the  Sunday  schools  of  America 
are  in  the  country  or  in  villages  of  less  than 
twenty-five  hundred  population.  According  to 
the  best  available  statistics,  more  than  half  the 
Sunday  schools  have  not  more  than  ten  officers 
and  teachers.  The  average  attendance  cannot 
be  more  than  sixty;  so  that  no  plans  for  the 
betterment  of  the  Sunday  school  will  prove  effi- 
cient unless  they  take  into  consideration  the 
schools  where  the  organization  must  be  simple, 
and  it  must  be  made  very  plain  that  the  adapta- 
tion of  methods  is  as  practical  for  the  small 
group  as  for  the  large  one. 

Adaptation  of  Methods.  There  are  no  special 
difficulties  in  the  small  school.  All  of  the 
methods  wrought  out  in  modern  Sunday  school 

80 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

development  can  be  applied  in  the  small  school. 
They  cannot,  however,  be  utilized  by  mere  imita- 
tion; nor  can  they  be  imported  and  mechanically 
applied.  If  the  school  has  only  one  room,  the 
question  of  grading  will  require  skill  and  thought- 
fulness  to  meet  the  conditions.  Where  the 
number  of  classes  is  small  the  adaptation  of  the 
lesson  cannot  be  made  in  any  arbitrary  way, 
but  must  be  carefully  thought  out  in  considering 
the  pupils  who  are  actually  there.  The  same 
holds  true  of  the  general  exercises  of  the  school, 
its  period  of  worship,  and  all  of  its  activities. 
There  are  few  things  worth  while  that  cannot  be 
utilized,  but  they  must  be  used  with  common 
sense,  cleverness,  and  forethought.  Those  who 
are  not  willing  to  approach  the  problem  of  their 
own  school  in  this  sane,  thoughtful  way  and  make 
the  adaptations  to  meet  the  actual  conditions  will 
meet  with  disappointment. 

The  Small  School  Should  Aim  at  Completeness. 
It  should  never  be  satisfied  with  small  numbers 
when  around  may  be  found  children,  young 
people,  or  men  and  women  without  religious 
instruction.  But  let  us  assume  that  it  has  met 
the  full  measure  of  its  duty  in  enrolling  the 
people  around  it.  "Our  school"  should  be  a  noble 
name,  although  its  numbers  be  small.  Its  welfare 
and  successes  should  incite  enthusiasm  as  richly 
and    abundantly   as    the    swelling   numbers    and 

n 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

larger  returns  of  any  large  school.  The  small 
school  may  fill  its  place  just  as  completely  in  the 
community,  accomplish  the  full  measure  of  its 
responsibility,  and  be  just  as  truly  an  educa- 
tional and  spiritual  success  as  the  school  with 
numbers  beyond  the  thousand  mark.  The  type 
of  the  small  school  is  a  school  with  five  classes: 
a  Beginners,  a  Primary,  a  Junior,  an  Intermedi- 
ate, and  an  Adult  Bible  Class.  In  this  three 
things  are  of  supreme  importance — the  close,  per- 
sonal relation  of  the  teacher  to  each  pupil,  the 
general  meeting  of  the  school,  and  the  teaching 
or  review  by  the  superintendent.  Where  there  is 
only  one  room  much  may  be  done  in  the  way  of 
class  improvement,  but  the  superintendent's 
words,  the  concert  reading,  and  the  meetings  of 
the  school  as  a  large  family  must  continue. 
When  the  numbers  are  large  enough  the  younger 
children  will  be  divided,  giving  two  or  more 
classes  to  the  Primary,  two  or  more  to  the  Junior; 
then  there  is  opportunity  for  organized  classes 
among  the  Intermediate  boys  and  girls  with 
their  week-day  activities.  A  Senior  class  may 
be  added  with  a  study  of  leadership  and  activ- 
ities in  addition  to  the  training  class.  The  men 
and  women  in  the  adult  class  may  also  be  divided ; 
but  if  there  be  ten  or  more  classes,  the  type  is  not 
changed,  it  is  only  developed. 

A  Call  to  Sacrifice   and  Service.     The  country 
82 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

church  needs  social  service  as  much  as  the 
country  community  needs  the  help  of  the  church. 
So  long  as  preparation  for  a  higher  type  of  service 
in  the  church  is  considered  an  irksome  duty, 
there  will  be  little  progress,  but  with  the  larger 
vision,  service  and  leadership  will  be  counted  a 
privilege,  and  the  strong  characters,  the  bright 
young  men  and  women,  will  be  ready  to  give  the 
time  for  preparation  for  skilled  leadership. 
There  can  be  no  healthy  growth  in  the  country- 
church  life  until  there  is  a  fuller  and  richer 
organization,  and  the  training  classes  must  form 
strong  friends  within  the  church  and  without  for 
uplifting  and  awakening.  They  should  appeal  to 
ministers  and  teachers,  to  public-spirited  and 
successful  men  and  women.  Courage  and  aggres- 
siveness must  come  from  the  young.  This  class 
must  catch  a  vision  of  work  that  no  one  church 
can  do  and  thus  plan  for  united  activities.  They 
must  open  their  hearts  to  childhood  and  con- 
sider the  fact  that  even  the  country  child 
needs  a  larger  play-life.  They  must  study  both 
the  social  and  intellectual  life  of  the  young 
people,  and  breathe  through  all  their  activities 
the  spirit  of  Christ.  How  noble  a  mission  lies 
before  them  is  indicated  in  the  following  quota- 
tion from  Dr.  Henry  Wallace:  "Of  all  classes  the 
farming  class  is  undoubtedly  the  most  susceptible 
to  religious  impressions;  and  yet  from  fifty  to 

83 


THE  TKAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

sixty  per  cent  of  the  country  people  on  the 
prairies  and  in  the  uplands  the  nation  over  have 
no  church  connection,  and  send  for  the  preacher 
only  for  the  solemnization  of  marriages  and  the 
burial  of  the  dead.  Never  was  there  a  finer  field 
for  missionary  effort.  Seldom  has  there  been  one 
so  poorly  occupied."  The  power  of  a  Christian 
church  to  transform  the  life  of  a  community  has 
been  proven  a  thousand  times.  Such  high  en- 
deavor will  be  carried  forward  with  noble  zest 
when  once  the  method  and  its  object  are  clear  to 
earnest  young  Christian  leaders.  When  once  a 
group  of  serious  students  ask  themselves,  "How 
can  we  enrich  the  home  life  and  the  personal  reli- 
gious life?  How  can  we  give  proper  reading? 
How  can  we  bind  together  in  fellowship  those 
around  us?  How  can  the  church  be  made  truly 
joyous  and  helpful  and  build  up  in  Christian  char- 
acter?" then  the  training  class  will  be  aglow  with 
discussion;  books  and  papers  will  be  eagerly 
sought,  and  the  spirit  of  sacrifice  will  pervade 
its  meetings.  The  students  will  cease  to  ask, 
"How  little  can  we  do?"'  as  those  bearing  a  bur- 
den, but  they  will  give  themselves  to  such  work 
with  a  noble  enthusiasm  that  scorns  to  count 
days  and  hours.  Professor  Earp,  in  speaking  of 
a  recent  conference  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association,  says,  "It  was  the  consensus  of  opin- 
ion of  a  select  group  of  educators  from  colleges 

84 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

of  agriculture,  theological  seminaries  and  uni- 
versities, and  also  men  of  affairs  in  home  mis- 
sionary and  church  federation  work  in  the  rural 
communities,  and  superintendents  of  central 
country  schools,  that  the  problem  of  the  uplift  of 
the  rural  life  of  America  depends  on  the  kind  of 
trained  social  leadership  we  can  put  in  the  field." 
Why  should  not  the  teacher  training  class,  work- 
ing together  with  the  adult  organized  class,  meet 
this  want  and  be  competent  to  give  the  needed 
training  for  service? 

Suggestions 

The  correspondence  course  will  be  found  available  for 
earnest  students  who  cannot  enter  a  class. 

A  neighborhood  class  can  often  be  organized  to  best 
advantage. 

A  union  class,  drawing  together  students  from  several 
churches,  will  often  prove  a  most  helpful  organization. 

Well-planned  social  events  will  add  much  to  the 
popularity  of  the  class. 

Each  member  of  the  class  should  visit,  whenever 
possible,  successful  schools  in  country  and  city  alike, 
take  notes,  and  report  to  the  class. 

The  teacher-training  commencement  can  be  made  an 
annual  event  of  widespread  interest  and  the  time  for 
setting  new  standards  for  the  Sunday  school. 

County  Alumni  Associations  should  hold  annual  ban- 
quets and  picnics,  and  be  constantly  aggressive  in  pro- 
moting advanced  studies  and  new  classes. 

Teachers  in  district  or  village  schools  will  often  be 
found  most  willing  helpers. 

85 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

Representation  at  State  and  county  conventions  will 
amply  repay  time  and  money  spent. 

Attendance  on  a  Summer  School  of  Methods  offers  a 
delightful  outing  and  an  insight  into  methods  of  work 
and  personal  acquaintance  with  Sunday  school  leaders. 

The  class  should  lead  or  assist  in  a  religious  census 
through  home  visitation  and  social  survey  of  the  com- 
munity. 

The  class  should  use  great  care  in  finding  the  best 
methods  of  adapting  room  and  gradation,  and  suggest 
the  best  possible  organization  for  its  own  school. 

The  county  work  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation offers  many  valuable  suggestions.  Cooperation 
between  it  and  the  training  class  will  be  of  great  value 
to  both. 

The  rural  welfare  movements  of  the  State  universities 
should  be  studied  with  great  care,  and  their  institutes 
should  afford  well-filled  notebooks  for  the  students. 


86 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 


VIII 

THE   COLLEGE   TRAINING  FOR  RELIGIOUS 
LEADERSHIP^ 

The  Appeal  of  the  Sunday  School  to  the  College. 
The  Church  and  its  chief  educational  agency,  the 
Sunday  school,  are  looking  to  our  American 
colleges,  the  great  majority  of  which  were 
founded  pro  Christo  et  ecclesia,  for  trained 
officers  and  teachers.  It  is  perfectly  obvious 
that  these  organized  agencies  of  religious  educa- 
tion can  never  satisfactorily  solve  their  funda- 
mental problems  without  the  cooperation  of  the 
colleges.  Not  until  our  American  colleges  and 
universities  begin  to  send  out  a  large  body  of  lay 
religious  leaders,  possessed  of  a  definite,  system- 
atic knowledge  of  the  Bible,  and  of  the  important 
principles  and  methods  of  religious  education, 
will  the  Sunday  school  become  the  efficient  edu- 
cational agency  that  our  modern  civilization 
needs.  The  future  of  the  Church  in  America 
depends  largely  upon  whether  or  not  the  colleges 
supply  this  crying  need  for  trained  lay  as  well 
as  professional  leaders.  The  reasons,  therefore, 
why  the  Bible  should  be  thoroughly  taught  in  the 

*  This  chapter  is  taken  by  permission  in  large  measure  from  the  report 
of  Professor  Charles  Foster  Kent  on  "The  Bible  in  the  College  Curriculum." 

87 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

college  curriculum  are  many  and  cumulative. 
They  appeal  to  every  serious-minded  college  stu- 
dent as  well  as  instructor,  for  they  are  educa- 
tional as  well  as  religious,  individual  as  well  as 
social,  philosophical  as  well  as  practical.  They 
concern  not  merely  the  church,  but  the  nation, 
for  the  foundation  of  all  that  is  best  in  the  civil- 
ization of  the  present,  as  well  as  of  the  past,  is 
derived  largely  from  the  Bible,  and  the  Bible 
can  be  made  effective  only  as  it  is  thoroughly 
taught  to  each  rising  generation. 

The  Denominational  College.  Professor  Coe  has 
aptly  said :  ''The  endowments  of  the  denomina- 
tional colleges  were  obtained  upon  the  theory 
that  these  colleges  were  to  impart  a  religious 
form  of  education.  I  think  it  not  too  severe  to 
say  that,  as  a  rule,  these  institutions  have 
swerved  from  the  purpose  to  give  such  education. 
I  believe  that  we  could  carry  through  with  con- 
siderable success  an  agitation  for  the  fulfillment 
of  an  implied  contract  on  the  part  of  these  insti- 
tutions. I  do  not  know  why  the  churches  should 
give  their  money  to  colleges  that  do  not  assist  the 
churches  directl}^  in  carrying  out  their  own  func- 
tions." The  denominational  colleges  have  been, 
in  the  years  of  rapid  educational  advancement,  in 
hard  financial  straits.  The  vast  endowments  of 
a  few  great  universities,  the  splendid  liberality 
of  the  States  toward  their  own  institutions  have 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

placed  the  church  colleges  at  a  great  disadvan- 
tage. The  cost  of  laboratories  for  scientific 
investigation  and  the  great  sums  needed  for 
engineering  departments  have  been  beyond  the 
means  of  the  small  college.  It  has  tried  to  keep 
up  the  struggle  and  win  students  by  maintaining 
such  scientific  laboratories  and  departments  and 
athletic  grounds  as  it  could  afford.  In  this  com- 
petition it  has  been  frequently  led  to  neglect  the 
more  definite  religious  training  as  a  less  popular 
appeal  in  winning  students. 

The  Rev.  John  B.  Magee,  writing  in  The  Chris- 
tian Student,  makes  this  criticism  on  the  Method- 
ist colleges  after  examining  the  catalogues  of 
forty-five:  "Our  next  step  was  to  select  all  the 
courses  which  might  be  considered  not  only  inti- 
mately, but  even  remotely  related  to  religious 
education.  These  courses  were  grouped  under 
ten  heads  ranging  from  general  psychology  to  the 
Bible  and  including  child  study,  denominational 
history,  etc.  We  now  calculated  the  number  of 
hours  of  recitation  per  year  in  each  of  the  sub- 
jects named  and  in  each  of  the  several  colleges. 
A  study  of  the  chart  resulted  in  the  following  sur- 
prising facts:  Only  twenty  colleges  out  of  the 
forty-five  provided  for  religious  education  other 
than  Bible  study.  Only  seven  offered  courses  in 
the  psychology  of  religion;  eight  offered  peda- 
gogy as  applied  to  the  Sunday  school;  four  pro- 

89 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

vided  for  a  study  of  denominational  history; 
eleven  offered  a  study  in  Christian  missions.  It 
was  next  observed  that,  with  the  one  exception  of 
Bible  study,  the  more  remote  the  subject  from 
religion  the  larger  the  scheduled  hours  seemed  to 
grow."  In  conclusion,  he  asks  these  pointed  ques- 
tions: "Is  there  any  possible  connection  between 
what  has  just  been  said  and  the  present  poverty 
of  our  churches  in  religious  workers?  Should 
our  churches  longer  be  compelled  to  depend  upon 
mere  novices,  when  other  fields  are  demanding 
experts?  Again  the  question  comes,  does  not  God 
have  a  right  to  the  best?" 

What  the  College  Student  Needs.  The  proposed 
courses  here  outlined  are  those  presented  at  the 
Cleveland  Convention  of  the  National  Religious 
Education  Association  by  Professor  Kent,  of 
Yale,  in  behalf  of  a  joint  committee.  Obviously, 
the  detailed  number  of  hours,  the  exact  titles,  and 
the  order  of  courses  will  be  worked  out  differently 
in  different  institutions. 

The  following  outline  indicates  briefly  the  gen- 
eral character  and  relations  of  the  different 
courses : 

FRESHMEN  AND  SOPHOMORES 

1.  Aim  of  Courses:   Religious  adjustment  and  point  of 

view;  systematic  knowledge  of  the  background  and 

vital   personalities   and   teachings   of   the   Bible;    a 

historical   basis   for   individual   religious  thinking 

90 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

and   for  later   curriculum   study;    preparation   for 
intelligent  and  efficient  religious  leadership. 
2.  Suggested  Courses  of  Study:  (a)  OLD  TESTAMENT 
HISTORY     (3    hours    1st    semester    or    2    hours 
throughout  the  year). 

A  brief  but  comprehensive  survey  of  the  chief 
personalities  and  events  in  Israel's  history  from 
the  days  of  Moses  to  the  end  of  the  Maccabean 
struggle,  giving  special  attention  to  the  work  of 
the  prophets,  to  the  way  in  which  they  met  the 
political,  social,  and  religious  problems  of  their 
day,  and  to  the  meaning  and  present  significance 
of  the  universal  principles  which  they  proclaimed. 
(6) NEW  TESTAMENT  HISTORY  (3  hours  2nd 
semester  or  2  hours  throughout  the  year). 

The  Jewish  and  Roman  world  in  which  Jesus 
lived;  a  constructive  study  of  the  personality  and 
work  of  Jesus  and  of  his  fundamental  teachings, 
and  of  their  practical  interpretation  in  the  activity 
and  preaching  of  the  apostles,  especially  of  Paul, 
and  in  the  growth  and  extension  of  Christianity 
during  the  first  Christian  century. 

JUNIORS  AND  SENIORS 

1.  Aim  of  Course  :  Detailed  acquaintance  with  the  litera- 

ture and  the  social  and  religious  teachings  of  the 
Bible.  Their  interpretation  in  modern  terms. 
Training  for  effective  social  and  religious  activity 
in  the  church,  the  Sunday  school.  Christian  Asso- 
ciations,   social    and    civic   organizations. 

2.  Suggested  Courses  of  Study:    (a)   THE  BIBLE  AS 

LITERATURE  (2  hours  throughout  the  year,  or  3 
hours   one    semester — after    Old    and    New    Testa- 
ment History). 
The  purpose  is  to  gain  an  intimate  acquaintance 
91 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

with  the  chief  masterpieces  of  biblical  literature 
and  to  interpret  them  in  the  light  of  their  histori- 
cal setting  and  their  literary  form,  and  to  lay  the 
foundations  for  an  intelligent  study  of  modern 
literature. 

(&)  ISRAEL'S  SOCIAL  INSTITUTIONS  (2  or  3 
hours  1st  semester — after  Old  and  New  Testament 
History). 

Evolution  of  the  Hebrew  family,  tribe,  and  state; 
social  relations  and  the  customs  and  laws  regulat- 
ing them;  the  religious  and  humanitarian  princi- 
ples underlying  the  Old  Testament  legislation  and 
their  modern  application. 

(c)  SOCIAL  TEACHINGS  OF  JESUS  AND  THE 
PROPHETS  (2  or  3  hours  2nd  semester — after  Old 
and  New  Testament  History). 

Historical  study,  classification,  and  interpretation 
of  the  social  principles  and  teachings  of  Israel's 
prophets  and  sages;  comparison  with  those  of 
Jesus  and  of  the  primitive  Christian  Church;  in- 
fluence upon  modern  institutions  and  conditions. 

(d)  DEVELOPMENT  OF  RELIGIOUS  IDEAS  (2 
or  3  hours  throughout  the  year). 

Origin,  chief  characteristics,  distinctive  teach- 
ings, historical  development  and  social  value  of  the 
world's  great  religions,  especially  of  Judaism  and 
Christianity. 

(e)  HISTORY  AND  AGENCIES  OF  RELIGIOUS 
EDUCATION  (2  or  3  hours  1st  semester— after 
general  course  in  Psychology). 

Aims  and  methods  of  the  Jewish  and  Christian 
systems  of  religious  education;  the  modern  reli- 
gious education  movement;  its  history,  aims,  and 
agencies,  with  special  emphasis  on  the  equipment, 
organization,  and  eflaciency  of  the  Sunday  school. 
92 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

(/)  PRINCIPLES  AND  METHODS  OF  RELI- 
GIOUS EDUCTION  (2  or  3  hours  2nd  semester 
— after  general  course  in  Psychology). 

Study  of  the  significant  psychological  character- 
istics and  the  religious  and  moral  interests  and 
possibilities  of  the  individual  at  each  stage  in  his 
development;  educational  values  of  the  biblical 
and  extra-biblical  material  and  of  the  different 
types  of  expressional  activity;  the  way  to  utilize 
them  most  effectively  in  the  work  of  religious  edu- 
cation. 

History,  Principles,  and  Methods  of  Religious 
Education.  Already  courses  in  the  history  and 
theory  of  teaching  have  found  a  place  in  the 
curricula  of  the  majority  of  our  American  col- 
leges. At  least  one  three-hour  semester  course  in 
general  education,  as  well  as  in  psychology,  should 
be  made  the  basis  for  the  more  advanced  study  in 
the  field  of  religious  education.  The  detailed 
courses  outlined  in  the  chart  are  presented  with 
some  hesitation,  for  we  are  still  in  the  pioneer 
stage.  They  embody,  however,  the  results  of  five 
years  of  experimentation  at  Yale  and  other  insti- 
tutions. They  are  developed  purely  from  the 
point  of  view  of  the  undergraduate.  If  offered  to 
graduate  students,  they  would  naturally  be  de- 
veloped into  a  series  of  courses.  They  are  in- 
tended primarily  for  the  leaders  of  voluntary 
classes  in  connection  with  the  Christian  Asso- 
ciations and  to  train  lay  as  well  as  professional 

93 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

teachers  for  the  Sunday  school  and  the  organized 
agencies  of  religious  education.  The  first  semes- 
ter course  considers  briefly  the  aims  and  meth- 
ods of  the  Jewish  and  Christian  systems  of  reli- 
gious education  and,  above  all,  those  of  the  Great 
Teacher,  whose  example  and  message  are  the 
guide  and  inspiration  of  the  modern  movement. 
The  major  part  of  the  semester  is  devoted  to  a 
study  of  the  history,  the  aims,  and  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  modern  agencies  of  religious  educa- 
tion, with  especial  emphasis  upon  the  home,  the 
public  school,  the  college,  the  Christian  Associa- 
tion, and  the  church  school.  The  second  semester 
course  will  doubtless  at  first  appeal  to  a  larger 
number  of  students.  It  is  intended  to  bring  to 
the  study  of  the  peculiar  problems  of  religious 
education  the  practical  contributions  of  modern 
psychology  and  education.  It  aims  to  investigate 
first  the  significant  psychological  characteristics 
and  the  religious  and  moral  interests  and  possibil- 
ities of  the  individual  at  each  stage  in  his  develop- 
ment; then  to  approach  and  evaluate  the  biblical 
and  other  available  material  from  the  educational 
point  of  view  and  to  estimate  the  relative  values 
of  the  different  types  of  expressional  activity. 
Finally  it  endeavors  to  make  clear  the  best  meth- 
ods of  combining  the  results  of  religious  psychol- 
ogy? pedagogy,  and  biblical  scholarship  in  the 
work  of  the  teacher  and  of  developing  effective 

94 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

Christian  character  and  activity.  The  success  of 
these  courses  also  depends  upon  the  character  of 
the  supplemental  clinical  work  that  is  done  by 
the  students  in  connection  with  the  local 
churches,  Sunday  schools,  and  Christian  Associa- 
tions, and  under  the  general  direction  of  the 
instructor  in  charge  of  the  curriculum  courses. 
In  institutions  where  the  proper  instruction  is 
available,  an  independent  course  in  the  psychology 
of  religion  may  profitably  be  added,  but  it  has  not 
been  tabulated  in  the  outlines,  for  it  was  felt  that 
it  belonged  more  properly  among  the  courses 
offered  to  graduate  students. 

The  Minimum  and  Maximum  Requirements  in 
College  Training  for  Religious  Leadership.  At  this 
stage  in  the  history  of  religious  education  a  half 
loaf,  or  even  a  quarter  loaf,  is  better  than  none 
at  all.  With  the  united  cooperation  of  the  college 
instructors  in  the  Bible,  of  the  leaders  in  the  Reli- 
gious Education  Association  and  in  the  college 
Christian  Associations,  and  of  the  officers  of  our 
more  progressive  colleges,  the  time  is  not  far  dis- 
tant when  the  great  majority  of  our  college  stu- 
dents will  elect  at  least  one  or  more  of  the  courses 
here  outlined.  They  have  been  outlined  in  part 
with  a  view  to  meeting  the  various  needs  and 
interests  of  different  classes  of  students.  To  the 
majority  the  elementary  courses  in  Biblical  his- 
tory,   if    properly    developed    and    taught,    will 

95 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

doubtless  make,  as  they  should,  the  strongest 
appeal.  To  this  should  be  added  the  one-seuiester 
course  in  the  principles  and  methods  of  religious 
education,  with  the  background  of  the  general 
college  course  in  psychology.  To  these  courses  is 
added  the  clinical  experience  in  connection  with 
the  work  of  the  Christian  Associations  or  local 
Sunday  schools. 

A  reasonable  standard,  which  it  is  to  be  hoped 
the  Christian  Associations  will  set  up  for  their 
college  and  general  secretaries,  and  the  church 
schools  for  official  and  teaching  positions,  may 
be  defined  in  terms  of  semester  hours : 

Old  Testament  History 3  hours 

New    Testament    History 3  hours 

The  Bible  as  Literature  or  Israel's 
Social  Teaching's  and  the  Social 
Teachings  of  Jesus  and  the  Prophets .  4  hours 

Development  of  Religious  Ideas 4  hours 

General    Psychology 3  hours 

History  and  Theory  of  Education 3  hours 

History  and  Agencies  of  Religious  Edu- 
cation      2  hours 

Principles    and    Methods    of    Religious 

Education    2  hours 

Electives  in  Philosophy,  Ethics,  and 
the  Social  Sciences 6  hours 


Total    semester   hours 30 

96 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

One  third,  if  not  one  half,  of  these  courses 
would  naturally  be  elected  by  the  average  stu- 
dent. The  attainment  of  this  special  equipment 
for  the  work  of  religious  education,  therefore, 
requires  a  comparatively  small  proportion,  at  the 
most  not  more  than  one  sixth,  of  the  total  number 
of  hours  in  the  average  college  course.  The  next 
logical  step  is  for  the  colleges  not  only  to  pro- 
vide for  these  courses,  but  also  to  give  special 
credit  or  certificates  to  students  selecting  them. 
Recognition  of  such  certificates  by  the  different 
denominations,  the  Christian  Associations,  and 
the  International  Sunday  School  Association,  and 
insistence  that  candidates  for  responsible  posi- 
tions in  these  different  organizations  hold  these 
certificates  will  immediately  give  the  much-needed 
definiteness  to  the  demands  of  the  various  organ- 
ized agencies  of  religious  education  and  at  the 
same  time  present  to  the  colleges  and  to  the  stu- 
dent body  a  clearly  defined  yet  attainable  goal 
for  which  to  work. 


97 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 


IX 

THE  TRAINING  OF  THE  ELEMENTARY  TEACHER 

The  Little  Child.  ''The  little  child  is  God's  most 
wonderful  creation."  The  mind  of  the  little  child 
is  the  only  entrance  to  the  inner  life  of  the  child 
world.  No  one  may  hope  to  know  the  mind  of 
the  adult  who  has  not  come  by  the  pathway  of 
the  child's  mind.  Child  study  is  absolutely  essen- 
tial to  any  intelligent  idea  of  mental  develop- 
ment. It  becomes  a  fascinating  and  delightful 
study  when  its  importance  is  seen  and  its  meth- 
ods understood.  A  new  world  opens  and  an 
endless  field  for  research  and  inquiry  is  suggested 
by  the  face  of  any  child.  While  the  teachers  of 
Beginners  and  Primary  children  have  distinct 
problems,  and  there  are  differences  in  methods, 
yet  suggestions  and  literature  available  for  these 
departments  are  so  ample  that  for  the  sake  of 
brevity  they  will  considered  together  in  this 
chapter.  The  teacher  will  find  the  child  needs 
reverent  and  loving  guidance  regarding  God  and 
duty,  prayer  and  faith.  The  teacher  does  not 
bring  these  ideas  as  a  surprise  to  the  child,  but 
finds  the  child  eagerly  and  frankly  asking  the 
great  questions  out  of  his  own  heart. 

The  Beginners'  Department.  The  importance  of 
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TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

the  Beginners'  Department  should  be  clearly 
recognized  in  the  teacher-training  class.  The 
teacher  who  enters  into  sympathy  with  a  little 
child  will  soon  find  the  open  door  to  the  home. 
She  will  receive  from  the  intelligent  Christian 
mother  appreciation  and  assistance,  for  every 
mother  is  eager  for  suggestions  about  the  home 
teaching  of  her  child.  The  teacher  may  find  the 
home  life  ignorant  or  unhappy,  but  the  oppor- 
tunity for  making  it  better,  and  so  improving  the 
life  of  the  child  itself,  is  ofi'ered  more  freely  to 
her  than  to  any  other.  Her  unpaid  interest  in 
the  child,  her  success  in  winning  its  love,  and, 
above  all,  her  religious  purpose  will  win  the  heart 
of  the  mother  and  the  respect  of  the  father,  where 
all  other  attempts  have  failed. 

The  Teacher  the  First  Object  Lesson.  With  little 
cbildren  sight  and  touch  are  the  ruling  senses. 
Their  world  is  within  the  range  of  the  eye  and 
reach  of  the  finger.  Object  lessons,  pictures, 
motions,  bright  colors,  and  varied  forms  always 
attract  them.  But  the  child  cannot  be  left  alone. 
It  must  always  be  in  some  one's  company.  Edu- 
cation is  given  by  personal  touch.  The  immediate 
impress  of  the  mother  above  all  others  molds  its 
life.  But  the  teacher  also  is  the  object  of  intense 
interest.  Not  what  she  shows  and  handles,  but 
what  she  herself  is,  makes  the  deepest  impression 
in  that  Sunday  school  hour. 

99 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

The  Ideal  for  the  Beginner's  Hour.  The  atmos- 
phere of  joY,  of  happiness  and  beauty,  is  the 
teacher's  first  and  great  contribution  to  her  work. 
It  goes  forth  from  her.  She  will  plan  equipment, 
decorate  the  room,  secure  chairs,  carpet,  pictures, 
and  the  delightful  surroundings  fitted  for  the 
children's  hour.  Her  appeal  for  such  equipment 
will  seldom  be  in  vain,  even  in  the  plainest 
church.  She  can,  at  least,  secure  a  corner,  dis- 
place the  high  pews  with  small  chairs,  and  by 
some  screen  or  curtain  secure  a  nook  for  the  chil- 
dren. The  most  conservative  on  the  board  of 
trustees  will  hardly  refuse  her  appeal.  With  the 
separation,  songs  and  prayers  and  the  little  activ- 
ities, not  only  delightful  but  essential  to  the  Pri- 
mary work,  are  all  within  her  control.  She  wins 
instantly  the  quick  sympathy  of  the  children  by 
her  loving  attention,  and  by  rapid  suggestions  she 
leads  them  through  graceful  movements,  happy 
songs,  and  a  moment  of  prayer  into  the  very  spirit 
of  the  kingdom.  Kindness,  love,  and  reverence 
are  there,  not  in  theory,  but  in  the  very  atmos- 
phere of  that  delightful  hour.  The  child  feels  it, 
and  what  the  child  feels  influences  its  character. 
She  is  not  to  repeat  the  lesson  of  the  kinder- 
garten or  of  the  home,  but  through  the  picture, 
the  song,  and  the  story  to  make  a  distinct  reli- 
gious impression.  To  do  this  calls  for  rare  deli- 
cacy and  restraint.     It  is  hard  to  see  through  a 

100 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

child's  eye.  It  requires  a  refined  touch  to  teach 
religion  to  the  little  child.  One.  is  apt  to  do  too 
little  or  too  much.  The  child  is  interested  to 
know  the  world  story.  God  as  the  Creator  of  all, 
the  Father  of  all,  the  kind  provider,  satisfies  the 
deeper  questioning  of  the  little  mind.  The  sun, 
the  wind,  and  the  rain,  the  animals  and  their  good 
shelter  are  all  rich  story  material  in  which  the 
religious  lesson  finds  its  natural  setting.  Then 
the  teacher  can  direct  the  work  of  .character- 
building  through  the  impressions  she  makes  upon 
the  plastic  mind  of  the  child.  Undisguised  envy, 
anger,  and  jealousy  even  now  often  appear  in 
the  child's  heart.  The  child  is  inherently  neither 
good  nor  bad,  but  presents  undeveloped  capacity 
for  either.  In  a  very  simple  way  the  teacher 
should  give  direct,  as  well  as  indirect,  religious 
lessons.  Jesus,  the  kind  Friend,  should  be  re- 
vealed to  the  child  with  reverence  and  loving  faith. 
This  will  be  no  difficult  task.  The  teacher  who 
finds  him  real  in  her  own  hour  of  prayer  can 
make  him  real  to  the  children  in  Bible  story  and 
in  her  word  pictures. 

Preparing-  to  Teach  the  Beginner  and  the  Pri- 
mary Child.  The  effective  teacher  of  the  Beginners 
is  a  woman.  Her  fine  sympathy,  the  instinct  of 
the  mother  heart,  her  richer  poetical  nature  espe- 
cially fit  her  for  this  task.  But  the  teacher  of 
Beginners,  if  she  have  not  the  natural  aptitude 

101 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

for  this  work,  will  find  little  delight  in  it  and 
develop  little  skill.  It  must  be  a  labor  of  love, 
and  with  this  joy  of  the  heart  the  labor  itself 
becomes  a  delight.  She  should  love  nature. 
She  should  love  God  and  speak  out  of  a  sincere 
joy  in  her  interpretation  of  the  world  as  divine. 
She  should  love  children  enough  to  care  for 
them  one  at  a  time,  with  a  painstaking  study 
of  the  individual  child.  If  the  children  are 
simply  children  to  her,  she  will  fail  to  do  the 
finer  type  of  work,  because  no  two  are  alike.  Her 
work  is,  first,  to  see  them  as  they  are,  and  then 
to  call  forth  the  finer  possibilities  in  each  individ- 
ual. This  can  be  done  only  through  that  sym- 
pathetic insight  which  reads  the  secret  of  each 
particular  life. 

The  Primary  Child,  from  six  to  nine  years  of 
age,  is  in  many  respects  like  the  Beginner.  The 
power  of  emotion  is  very  strong.  The  child  is 
exceedingly  susceptible  to  suggestion;  the  intel- 
lect is  rapidly  developing,  and  the  will  is  growing 
stronger.  Toward  the  latter  part  of  this  period 
there  is  a  marked  intellectual  development.  The 
child  has  begun  to  go  to  school  and  has  much 
wider  interests,  but  the  opportunity  of  the  Sun- 
day school  teacher  and  the  methods  are  practi- 
cally the  same  as  with  the  Beginners. 

Study  of  Child  Nature.  Teachers  and  students 
to-day  hear  much  about  child  study  and  psychol- 

102 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

ogy.  It  sounds  alarming.  They  are  busy  men 
and  women  who  do  not  care  to  take  up  studies 
of  an  abstract  nature  or  are  not  impressed  with 
the  need  or  value  of  this  study;  but  it  is  in  real- 
ity very  practical  and  helpful.  Professor  Wil- 
liam James  sa^^s:  "A  complete  knowledge  of  the 
pupil,  at  once  intuitive  and  analytic,  is  surely 
the  knowledge  at  which  every  teacher  ought  to 
aim.  Fortunately  for  teachers,  the  elements  of 
this  knowledge  can  be  clearly  apprehended.  The 
amount  of  science  which  is  necessary  to  all 
teachers  need  not  be  very  great.  For  the  great 
majority  a  general  view  is  enough,  provided  it  be 
a  true  one;  and  such  a  general  view,  one  may 
say,  might  almost  be  written  on  the  palm  of  one's 
hand."  Child  study  is  a  study  of  the  mind's 
growth,  the  study  of  the  unfolding  of  the  inner 
life — the  most  fascinating  quest  in  the  world. 
The  key  to  modern  education  is  found  in  its  sym- 
pathetic effort  to  study  and  understand  child 
nature. 

The  Hour  of  "Instinctive  Readiness."  The  child 
is  no  longer  regarded  as  mere  undeveloped  man. 
Childhood  is  a  full  life  in  itself,  rich  and  well- 
rounded  at  any  period,  but  characterized  by  swift 
transitions.  Each  period  must  be  given  its  full 
nurture,  or  the  next  will  be  dwarfed.  "In  all 
pedagogy,"  says  James,  "the  great  thing  is  to 
strike  while  the  iron  is  hot  and  seize  the  wave  of 

103 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

the  pupil's  interest  in  each  successive  subject 
before  its  ebb  comes.  To  detect  the  moment  of 
instinctive  readiness  for  the  subject  is,  then,  the 
first  duty  of  the  educator."  The  intelligent 
teacher  sees  that  the  powers  of  the  growing  life 
develop  in  a  definite  order.  In  the  primary  child 
the  imagination  reaches  its  climax.  The  teacher 
must  use  picture  words.  There  is  an  hour  of  "in- 
stinctive readiness,"  and  there  is  one  magical 
word,  as  in  the  Arab  tale,  at  which  the  door  will 
open.  And  if  the  teacher  stand  and  shout  other 
words,  they  may  be  good  words,  but  there  is  no 
magic  in  them,  and  the  gates  do  not  open.  We 
may  shout  important  definitions  or  wise  abstrac- 
tions at  the  little  child,  but  he  hears  them  not. 
We  must  come  with  the  magic  of  the  intelligible 
story,  the  appeal  to  the  emotional  life,  with  just 
the  words  and  pictures  for  which  this  child  in- 
stinctively yearns,  or  there  will  be  no  open  doors. 
The  imagination  keeps  the  door,  and  the  eager 
little  soul  sees  and  hears  the  big  world  on  every 
side.  The  senses  are  keen,  the  brain  is  eager; 
but  the  time  for  reasoning  closely  has  not  come. 
No  Oriental  story-teller  could  speed  faster  on 
magic  carpet,  and  no  wand  in  the  enchanter's 
hand  can  transform  common  stufif  so  fast  as  this 
cunning  little  juggler  works.  The  boy  bestrides 
the  stick  with  all  the  horseman's  joy,  or  the  little 
girl  clasps  a  bit  of  rag  to  her  breast  and  sings 

104 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

to  it  with  all  the  delight  of  a  mother's  heart.  The 
corner  of  the  yard  becomes  an  enchanted  forest, 
and,  with  a  wave  of  the  hand,  the  dining  room 
is  transformed  into  a  fairy  palace. 

The  Imagination.  The  teacher  must  come,  then, 
with  words  that  paint  pictures,  with  words  that 
are  songs  and  poems  in  themselves.  Teaching 
can  be  no  dull  routine,  if  it  is  to  fit  this  brilliant 
fancy  and  meet  the  wants  of  this  eager  little 
mind.  The  simple  wonder  of  the  child  is  gratified 
by  meeting  fact  pictured  in  lines  the  eyes  see 
clearly.  As  the  rapt  story-teller  sees  and  de- 
scribes vividly,  it  is  for  the  child  a  real  experi- 
ence, so  strong  is  the  power  of  imagination.  The 
finer  culture  of  the  imagination,  the  development 
of  fear  and  wonder  into  reverence,  the  disclosure 
of  the  heart-life  in  nature,  and  the  personal  power 
behind  nature — this  teaching  requires  the  very 
purity  of  heart  and  noble  simplicity  of  intellect 
that  unite  to  form  the  loftiest  type  of  instruction. 
What  portrait  painter  has  ever  been  true  to  the 
color  of  the  cheek  of  the  little  child?  What  artist 
has  ever  drawn  curves  and  outlines  that  compare 
with  the  grace  and  beauty  of  the  child's  face? 
And  yet  the  inner  life  is  more  subtle  than  the 
outer,  and  the  soul  of  the  child  waits  to  be  molded 
by  some  one's  hand.  The  teacher  is  writing  on  a 
sensitized  plate.  The  words  may  not  be  exposed 
to  the  light  for  long  years,  but  the  very  lightest 

105 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

touches  are  indelible.  Colonel  Parker  says,  "The 
rankest  materialism  in  its  worst  form  has  never 
struck  harder  blows  at  the  true  spiritual  life 
than  the  ignorance  of  misguided  parents  who 
keep  their  children  from  fairy  life  and  fairy- 
land." 

The  Bible  Story.  The  teacher  of  the  child  must 
be  an  attractive  story-teller.  The  Bible  is  the 
story  book  of  the  world.  Professor  Mutch  says: 
"There  should  be  two  hundred  Bible  stories  so 
mastered  in  their  narrative  and  dramatic  features 
that  they  can  never  be  forgotten,  but  are  on  tap 
for  any  emergency.  These  stories  cannot  be  used 
if  known  only  by  titles;  but  there  must  be  a 
wealth  of  detail,  which  will  admit  of  selection 
to  suit  the  age  and  attainment  of  those  taught. 
To  master  two  hundred  Bible  stories  in  this  way 
is  an  ideal  limit;  but  it  is  also  a  practical  goal 
toward  which  one  may  be  actually  working,  and 
there  is  no  kind  of  preparation  open  to  the 
teacher  that  is  so  rewarding  as  this,  and  none  so 
easily  within  the  reach  of  all."  The  Bible  has  the 
dew  of  the  morning,  the  sweet,  poetical  simplic- 
ity of  early  life.  No  Greek  mythology,  no  Norse 
legends,  and  no  folklore  anywhere  appeals  to  the 
child  more  than  the  Bible  story.  It  is  true  to  life, 
it  has  movement  and  action,  and  yet  the  light  of 
God's  love  and  God's  justice  shining  upon  every 
deed.    The  pith  and  power  of  its  poetic  freshness 

106 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

possess  a  charm  that  captures  the  child.  The 
child  feels  its  subtle  spell  and  listens  with  beat- 
ing heart.  The  element  of  mystery  is  there,  and 
not  the  flat  matter-of-fact  of  the  modern  style. 
Our  story-tellers  are  ransacking  the  literature  of 
the  world  and  coming  back  with  new  apprecia- 
tion of  the  Bible  story.  The  teacher  cannot  take 
these  stories  out  of  their  setting  and  tell  them 
effectively,  but  they  must  be  studied  in  their 
native  home.  They  must  be  presented  with  fidel- 
ity to  the  text.  There  must  be  a  reverent  and 
thoughtful  knowledge  of  the  whole  book  in  order 
to  appreciate  their  value.  The  child,  with  open- 
eyed  wonder,  seeks  larger  pictures  of  the  world 
than  his  eyes  can  see.  The  Bible  stories  are  true, 
and  yet  they  satisfy  the  imagination  and  come 
with  the  answer  in  poetic  words  to  the  questions. 
Who  is  God?  What  am  I?  W^hat  is  this  world? 
Child-Welfare.  Child-welfare  is  a  word  that 
has  now,  in  all  Christian  lands,  and  in  them  only, 
a  magic  appeal.  It  suggests  the  practical  pro- 
gram for  the  grades  of  the  Sunday  school.  From 
the  hour  when  the  little  beginner  pushes  or 
strikes  a  tiny  neighbor  up  to  the  day  when  the 
men  in  the  adult  class  discuss,  "What  is  a  fair 
wage?"  the  work  of  forming  social  ideals  goes 
rapidly  forward.  The  teacher,  with  open  Bible 
in  hand,  can  make  real  to  all  classes  from  child- 
hood to  manhood  that  these  streets,  these  homes 

107 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

and  shops  and  farms  and  stores  are  all  to  come 
under  the  laws  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ. 

The  training  of  the  teacher  in  regard  to  the 
welfare  of  child  life  develops  a  noble  concern  and 
reaches  out,  when  rightly  guided,  far  beyond  class 
and  school  and  embraces  the  neglected,  the  ill- 
treated  child,  the  one  surrounded  by  poverty  and 
vice.  Then  the  opportunity  for  helpfulness  can 
be  presented  to  the  children  in  the  Sunday  school 
classes.  The  primary  classes  may  receive  their 
lessons  in  social  help  as  they  make  real  sacrifices 
to  meet  actual  needs.  The  glow  of  joy  in  the 
face  of  the  child  who  has  done  something  gener- 
ous for  a  weaker  one  is  ample  reward.  But  the 
result  does  not  end  with  the  action ;  for  in  this 
practical  way  the  teacher  is  develoj)ing  in  the 
child  a  habit  and  an  appreciation  of  social  service. 

The  Development  of  Child  Keligion.  In  The 
Training  of  Children  in  Religion  Dean  Hodges 
summarizes  admirably  the  religious  truths  which 
meet  the  needs  of  the  child's  nature.  He  describes 
what  the  consciousness  of  the  presence  of  God 
means  to  a  child,  how  religious  teaching  answers 
the  desire  for  knowledge,  and  the  quick  response 
of  the  child's  heart  to  summons  to  loyalty.  "The 
child  who  has  been  so  trained  that  the  constant 
presence  of  God  is  a  sure  conviction  can  be 
trusted  anywhere.  He  has  within  him  a  defense 
against  evil  and  an  inspiration  to  do  good.     His 

108 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

own,  native,  independent  desire  is  to  please  God. 
He  has  a  talisman  of  protection  and  strength 
which  no  amount  of  moral  teaching  can  give  him. 
He  has  been  given  a  spiritual  endowment  which 
will  make  him  rich  as  long  as  he  lives.  .  .  .  We 
are  by  nature  inquisitive.  Satisfying  answers  to 
the  elemental  questions  about  life  and  death  can 
be  given  only  in  the  language  of  religion.  .  .  . 
The  spirit  of  loyalty  which  makes  a  child  en- 
deavor to  be  like  some  great  person  about  whom 
he  has  heard,  and  which  impels  a  child  to  say  to 
himself,  'I  cannot  do  this  or  that  because  my 
father  or  mother  would  not  like  it,'  produces  a 
similar  allegiance  of  admiration  and  of  affection 
to  Jesus  Christ.  To  develop  such  loyalty  in  child- 
hood is  to  render  a  service  of  inestimable  value. 
It  is  to  do  the  greatest  thing  that  can  be  done  for 
the  shaping  of  character." 

Aims.  What  aims  should  be  kept  in  view  by 
students  preparing  to  teach  Beginners  and  Pri- 
mary children?  (1)  To  quicken  the  powers  of 
observation,  so  that  it  may  become  a  delight  to 
be  accurate  and  true  in  observing  children  at 
their  play.  (2)  To  make  the  mind  alert  and  eager 
regarding  child  life.  (3)  To  recall  one's  own 
childhood  and  return  across  the  bridge  of  the 
years  to  one's  own  playground.  (4)  To  incite 
such  an  interest  in  child  psychology  that  it  will 
become   a   fascinating  subject   for  reading   and 

109 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

study,  (o)  To  awaken  the  social  interest  in  the 
home  life  of  children  and  suggest  the  reaction  of 
the  child  upon  the  home  and  the  possibility  of  the 
sympathetic  relationship  between  home  and 
school.  (6)  To  learn  such  reverence  for  the  child 
as  will  lead  to  perfect  frankness,  so  that  no  deceit 
shall  destroy  the  child's  trust  in  the  teacher. 

How  Will  the  Training  Class  Help  the  Teacheb  of 
Beginners    and    Primary    Pupils? 

It  will  induct  her  into  the  fine  art  of  story-telling 
and  give  her  inspiration  and  skill  in  using  it. 

It  will  reveal  to  her  the  brilliancy  and  many-sided- 
ness of  the  child  mind. 

It  will  unfold  to  her  the  dignity  of  the  elementary 
teacher's  work. 

It  will  unfold  the  wealth  of  poetic  and  sacred  litera- 
ture at  her  command. 

It  will  explain  the  value  of  action  in  the  presence  of 
children  and  the  impression  made  by  acts  on  their 
religious  nature.  The  teacher  will  learn  to  think  far 
more  about  what  is  seen  by  the  eye  than  what  Is 
heard  by  the  ear. 

It  will  suggest  the  value  of  dignified  yet  animated  and 
fitting  religious  ceremony. 

It  will  show  that  seeds  of  reverence  for  God,  the 
Bible,  the  Church,  for  prayer  and  praise  are  best  sown 
early  in  the  child's  life. 

It  will  disclose  the  fact  that  the  supreme  Interest 
of  the  child  is  in  a  person,  and  that  the  teacher  may  be 
the  most  important  person. 

It  will  suggest  the  most  helpful  books  for  her  de- 
partment. 

110 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

It  will  lead  her  to  become  a  student  of  nature  in  its 
happiest  moods,  because  she  cannot  teach  unless  she  go 
to  the  trees  and  the  fields,  the  flowers  and  the  sky  for 
story  and  illustration. 

It  will  disclose  the  true  teacher's  delight  in  studying 
the  individual  child. 

It  will  put  her  in  close  and  sympathetic  touch  with 
the  group  of  teachers  who  are  doing  some  of  the  finest 
and  most  effective  teaching  in  the  world. 

It  will  lead  her  to  a  study  of  child  welfare  in  the 
community,  with  suggestions  and  plans  for  active  work. 

It  will  guide  the  young  teacher  in  developing  and 
directing  the  emotional  life  of  children  so  that  it  will 
find  normal  expression  in  acts  and  habits. 

It  will  call  attention  to  the  value  of  the  child's  play. 

It  will  lay  stress  upon  first-hand  observation  of 
children. 


Ill 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 


THE  TRAINING  OF  THE  TEACHER  OF  JUNIOR 
PUPILS 

Characteristics.  The  best  teaching  to-day  in  the 
Sunday  school  is  done  in  the  Primary  Depart- 
ment. We  all  rejoice  that  this  is  true.  This 
noble  result  has  come  through  the  self-sacrifice 
and  insight  of  many  devoted  and  highly  intelli- 
gent women.  But  while  the  primary  teacher  is 
watching  eagerly  the  progress  of  her  pupil,  a 
wonderful  thing  takes  place — even  before  she  is 
aware  of  it  her  pupil  has  gone.  The  imaginative 
child  is  there  no  more,  but  another  has  taken  its 
place.  As  the  wicked  witch  in  olden  time  was 
ever  bringing  the  changeling  child,  to  the  dismay 
of  parents  and  the  delight  of  romantic  story- 
tellers, so  this  thing  happens  to-day  to  the  dis- 
may of  the  teacher.  The  child  has  made  the 
journey  from  six  to  ten.  Fairyland  and  all  its 
rapt  wonder  are  of  the  past,  and  the  matter-of- 
fact  child,  hungry  for  information,  eager  for 
action,  longing  to  do  and  to  dare,  is  before  the 
teacher.  Repeated  actions  are  hardening  into 
habits  with  strange  rapidity.  As  the  sculptor 
with  mallet  in  hand  works  upon  his  marble,  just 
so  are  the  brain  tracts  fashioned  and  the  char- 

112 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

acter  made,  and  shape  is  given  to  the  life  in  the 
rapid  movements  of  these  months.  The  child  is 
submissive,  yet  it  is  selfish,  lacking  in  finer  senti- 
ment, and  the  teaching  cannot  be  the  same  as  it 
was  in  the  other  years. 

The  Teacher's  Special  Tasks.  A  true  teacher 
now  insists  upon  repeated  acts  of  courtesy  and 
kindness,  demanding,  with  strong  emphasis, 
promptness  and  thoroughness,  for  habit  now  fas- 
tens itself  for  life.  The  teacher  should  now  store 
the  brain  with  the  noblest  hymns,  Bible  chapters, 
the  dramatic  incidents  in  the  history  of  the 
Church,  "the  things  a  Christian  ought  to  know 
and  believe  for  his  soul's  health."  The  hand  is 
given  a  chance  to  work,  to  make  something  of  its 
own,  that  brings  the  far-away  names  into  the 
circle  of  real  knowledge.  Jerusalem  and  Bethle- 
hem put  on  the  map  by  a  girl's  own  hand  have  a 
definite  location.  The  Jordan  and  its  deep  gorge 
come  almost  as  near  as  the  river  running  by  the 
house,  when  they  have  been  molded  by  the  lad's 
own  hand.  The  story  of  Joseph  or  incidents  from 
the  life  of  Christ  written  out  and  illustrated  by 
rough  sketch  or  pasted  picture,  now  become  facts 
grasped  and  held  within  the  circle  of  definite 
ideas.  The  teacher  has,  by  tactful  suggestion, 
led  the  inquisitive  brain  into  choice  storehouses 
to  gamer  the  treasures.  She  has,  by  insistence, 
trained  to  the  noblest  forms  of  action  and  led  the 

113 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

way  to  the  self-activity  of  the  spiritual  nature 
through  forms  of  song  and  prayer.  She  has  pre- 
sented the  Church  in  its  dignity  and  power  and 
put  the  duty  of  reverent  attendance  among  the 
essentials  of  conduct.  She  has  supplemented  the 
teaching  of  the  Christian  home,  and  reenforced, 
so  far  as  she  may,  the  work  of  the  public  school. 
Real  teaching  demands  an  energy  that  outruns 
the  restless  mind  of  the  boy  and  a  cleverness  that 
forecasts  the  swift  workings  of  the  girl's  emo- 
tions. She  has  dealt  with  her  pupils  one  at  a 
time.  A  union  of  firmness  and  love,  of  authority 
and  comradeship,  has  bound  them  to  the  teacher. 
But  it  has  required  a  particular  knowledge, 
applied  with  tact  and  common  sense  and  deep 
prayerful  earnestness  to  each  individual  child, 
to  call  forth  the  finer  elements  of  strength  in  the 
character  and  to  find  just  what  each  is  willing  to 
seize  and  to  hold  of  the  precious  stones  of  in- 
formation lying  within  reach  of  this  particular 
age. 

How  to  Use  the  Bible.  The  mind  receives  im- 
pressions like  wax.  The  facile  brain  grasps 
words  with  rhythm,  fire,  and  beauty  in  them.  The 
child  of  this  age  delights  not  only  in  deeds  of 
power,  but  in  the  poetic  expression  of  them.  In 
the  Bible  is  the  matchless  English  style.  The  dig- 
nity and  simplicity  of  our  tongue  reach  their 
height  in  the  translation  of  this  book.    The  great 

114 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

chapters  of  the  Bible  once  taken  by  this  eager 
brain,  are  stored  in  its  treasure  vaults  for  the 
days  of  need.  Much  is  said  to-day  about  fasten- 
ing upon  the  child's  mind  words  it  cannot  under- 
stand, and  a  just  protest  is  made  against  demand- 
ing mechanical  action  of  the  memory;  but  the 
classic  pages  of  poetry  and  chapters  of  the  Bible 
are  not  included  in  this  criticism.  Their  beauty 
and  eloquence  do  attract  the  child.  Much  of 
their  moral  and  spiritual  value  is  already  within 
the  reach  of  his  mind.  The  teacher  who  has  not 
felt  the  spell  of  the  Bible  writers  in  times  of  quiet 
and  thoughtful  study,  who  has  not  read  again 
and  again  the  matchless  chapters  that  have 
carried  the  message  of  inspiration  to  so  many 
thousand  hearts,  cannot  hope  to  impress  any 
class  of  restless  and  play-loving  children  with 
the  need  of  committing  its  pages  to  memory. 

Storing  the  Memory.  Rote  teaching,  after  all, 
has  power.  The  Mohammedan  uses  no  other 
method.  His  education  is  not  the  highest,  but  he 
accomplishes  what  he  sets  out  to  do.  He  fixes 
not  only  the  words  of  the  Koran,  but  a  reverence 
for  it  and  a  sense  of  its  value  so  deep  that  not 
one  in  ten  thousand  ever  rejects  its  pages.  It 
is  not  a  broad  education,  but  it  is  intense  enough 
to  achieve  its  purpose.  The  Chinese  student  has 
not  discussed  Confucius;  he  has  simply  learned 
the  words.     A  distinct  type  of  mind  has  been 

115 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

produced.  The  teaching  has  wrought  exactly 
what  it  desired.  The  character  is  on  a  level  with 
the  precepts  of  the  shrewd  old  sage.  A  change- 
less type  was  produced,  because  that  was  the 
thing  sought,  and  until  the  present  the  people 
have  been  held  stationary  through  the  centuries 
by  the  memory  method.  Men  who  learn  the  words 
of  the  New  Testament  with  reverence  will  have 
this  reserve  power,  and  as  much  more  as  Jesus 
is  above  Mohammed  or  Confucius.  A  few  mem- 
ory verses  are  not  a  mental  store  rich  enough  for 
Christian  knowledge  and  character.  In  a  conven- 
tion in  a  far  Western  State,  at  the  morning  devo- 
tional hour,  the  leader  asked  for  quotations  of 
Scripture.  It  was  a  large,  intelligent  audience, 
responding  freely.  The  familiar  verses  of  Scrip- 
ture were  repeated  over  and  over.  The  range  was 
very  narrow,  and  but  few  were  able  to  give  even 
these  verses  with  accuracy.  The  ear  constantly 
detected  guesswork,  instead  of  precise  quotation. 
They  had  the  idea  and  many  of  the  phrases,  but 
not  the  exact  words  of  Scripture.  Had  these 
persons  committed  some  of  the  great  chapters  of 
the  Bible  to  memory  in  the  years  of  childhood,  the 
words  of  Scripture  in  their  power  and  beauty 
would  have  been  a  mental  treasure  always  at 
command  and  a  never-failing  store  for  the  hour 
of  spiritual  need. 

The  child  at  this  age  loves  rime  and  rhythm, 
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TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

and  the  poetical  cadences  of  the  Bible  and  the 
beauty  of  its  imagery  are  the  finest  aids  to  the 
memory.  The  memoi-y  of  the  child  at  this  period 
should  be  treated  with  as  great  care  as  is  be- 
stowed upon  the  eyes.  Its  unusual  power  should 
be  treated  with  the  same  regard  as  that  given  to 
a  special  faculty.  Not  alone  should  the  injury  and 
false  use  of  its  extraordinary  vigor  be  averted, 
but  the  neglect  to  give  it  the  classic  words  of 
inspiration  impoverishes  the  life  and  leaves  gaps 
in  the  veiy  foundations  of  religious  character. 
The  choice  words  of  the  poet  and  evangelist,  of 
the  prophet  and  apostle,  and,  above  all,  the  exact 
words  that  Jesus  spoke  should  be  a  part  of  the 
mental  treasure  of  every  child  as  he  faces  the 
years  of  youth.  It  will  require  some  discipline 
and  sometimes  much  tact  in  the  way  of  incentives 
and  inducements  to  lead  the  careless  boy  and  girl 
to  give  the  attention  necessary,  but  if  line  upon 
line  and  precept  upon  precept  is  the  practice  in 
these  four  years,  we  shall  detect  it  in  character 
formation  in  later  years. 

Character  Building.  Children  of  this  age  have 
the  practical  bent  of  mind.  Their  feet  are  on  the 
earth;  the  sweet  wonder  of  childhood  has  left 
them.  They  crave  the  swift  action,  the  vigor  of 
fighting  men,  the  daring  and  romance  of  intense 
life.  Again  the  Bible  fully  meets,  in  the  hands 
of  a  skilled  interpreter,  the  needs  of  this  stage 

117 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

of  mental  development.  It  is  a  book  of  deeds  and 
of  forlorn  hopes  turned  to  victory:  the  sling 
against  the  giant's  sword,  the  three  hundred 
against  the  Midianites,  and  the  twelve  men  who 
went  out  to  conquer  a  land.  Here,  in  very  fact, 
one  does  chase  a  thousand  and  two  put  ten  thou- 
sand to  flight,  and  even  then  "the  battle  is  not  to 
the  physically  strongest."  The  Bible  has  had 
power  to  steel  brave  hearts  to  fight  even  unto 
death  for  the  sake  of  righteousness.  The  early 
martyrs  from  Polycarp  to  Huss,  the  Luthers  and 
the  Knoxes,  the  Cromwells,  the  Wesleys  and  the 
Livingstones  have  all  found  here  chapters  for 
their  hours  of  discouragement  that  inspired  lofti- 
est hopes  within  them.  These  words  of  the  his- 
torian, the  psalmist,  the  prophet,  and  the  apostle 
hare  the  same  power  yet  to  stir  the  heart  and 
insfjire  the  soul.  Our  work  is  not  to  entertain 
classes  of  restless  boys  and  girls,  but  to  breed  a 
race  with  dauntless  moral  courage.  Our  work  is 
to  teach  self-denial,  loyalty  to  conscience  at  any 
cost,  and  faith  in  the  God  of  battles  as  a  living 
God.  There  has  been  no  other  power  like  this 
book  to  shape  men  of  heroic  mold.  If  we  fail 
to-day,  it  is  the  fault  of  the  teaching.  No  men 
with  this  book  in  their  hearts  have  ever  been 
defeated.  To-morrow  may  have  no  sound  of 
cannon,  nor  smell  of  powder,  but  it  will  call  for 
deeds  just  as  brave,  for  men  and  women  just  as 

118 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

strong  to  face  new  issues  as  were  those  who  con- 
fronted the  hosts  of  Assyrians  or  saw  the  fires  of 
the  martyr  days.  The  Bible  is  the  book  to  inspire 
heroic  deeds  and  self-denying  lives,  but  it  can 
be  taught  only  by  those  who  have  absorbed  its 
spirit  and  who,  in  deep  sympathy  and  clear  faith, 
reveal  its  teaching  in  their  own  lives. 

Junior  Age  Less  Attractive  than  Others.  The 
physical  vigor  and  the  noise  turn  many  teachers 
away  from  Junior  pupils.  There  is  something 
lovable  about  the  little  child,  but  boys  and  girls 
of  this  age  are  not  so  attractive,  nor  do  they  dis- 
play affection  as  in  the  earlier  childhood.  There 
is  not  the  apparent  promise  that  belongs  to  later 
years.  Discipline  is  required.  It  is  sometimes 
difficult,  nearly  always  unpleasant.  The  subject- 
matter  is  not  so  interesting.  There  must  be  much 
of  repetition  and  drill.  There  is  less  of  the  joy  of 
story-telling  than  in  the  Primary,  less  freedom  of 
mind  than  in  the  Intermediate  years.  For  these 
reasons  the  teacher  will  often  choose  the  younger 
or  the  older  pupils  to  the  neglect  of  the  Junior 
Department. 

The  Importance  of  the  Junior  Department.  The 
importance  of  the  Junior  Department  has  never 
been  fully  appreciated.  This  is  the  formative 
stage;  "habit  is  making  permanent  pathways  of 
nervous  discharge."  The  impressions  are  often 
lost  to  the  teacher's  view,  and  the  effort  seems  to 

119 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

end  in  failure.  There  is  need  of  a  faithful  study 
and  painstaking  observation  of  these  fateful 
years,  that  their  true  importance  may  be  judged 
aright.  This  is  the  seed-sowing  time,  and  the 
homes,  the  schools,  and  the  teachers  who  fail  in 
careful  choice  of  the  seed,  or  skillful  preparation 
for  its  lodgment  in  the  soil,  will  be  sadly  disap- 
pointed in  seeking  later  harvests. 

It  has  been  taken  for  granted  that  the  Junior 
child  will  stay  in  the  school.  Dr.  A.  H.  McKinney 
calls  attention  to  a  fact  that  may  be  verified  by 
a  direct  investigation.  He  says  the  leakage  is  far 
greater  in  the  Junior  Department  than  has  been 
thought.  We  have  marked  the  Intermediate  as 
the  time  for  breaking  away,  but  the  secretary's 
books  will  show  sad  losses  in  the  later  Junior 
years.  And  those  who  remain  are  often,  in  their 
own  minds,  on  the  point  of  departure.  Though 
still  on  its  roll,  they  are  really  lost  to  the  school, 
because  their  interest  is  lost. 

Some  Things  the  Junior  Teacher  Ought  to  Know. 
The  Juniors  are  boys  and  girls ;  they  are  not  little 
children.  The  pupils  know  this  fact,  and  know 
it  with  pride.  If  the  teacher  does  not  know  it,  so 
much  the  worse  for  the  teacher.  Eestlessness  is 
changed  to  activity  and  demands  something  to 
do  that  is  worth  the  doing.  Handwork  should 
be  thoroughly  studied  by  the  teacher.  Thorough 
study  means  that  it   will  be  made   absorbingly 

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TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

interesting,  and  jet  never  be  an  end  in  itself.  It 
is  a  true  means  of  expression,  a  priceless  educa- 
tional method,  which  should  never  be  used  except 
to  convey  a  definite  lesson,  and  because  it  is  the 
best  means  of  expressing  that  lesson.  Bible-read- 
ing is  now  in  the  teacher's  keeping.  If  each  pupil 
owns  a  Bible,  brings  it  to  the  school  and  finds 
the  lesson  and  quotations  in  his  own  book;  if  the 
hero  stories  and  golden  chapters  are  all  located 
on  pages  that  are  well  known,  then  a  Bible  stu- 
dent is  receiving  his  first  training.  A  firm  founda- 
tion will  then  be  laid;  but  it  can  be  done  only 
because  the  teacher  has  planned  and  taught  with 
loving  foresight  and  skill  and  has  given  a  stand- 
ard of  action  to  the  Junior  Department  that  has 
impressed  the  boys  and  girls  as  the  noblest  thing 
to  do. 

Giving.  If  giving  is  to  be  a  life-long  service 
joyfully  rendered,  this  is  the  time  for  its  begin- 
ning. The  boys  and  girls  are  handling  small 
sums,  for  the  first  time,  often  earned  by  their  own 
hands;  and  they  now  begin  to  grasp  or  to  give. 
The  strong  appeal  of  the  teacher  should  guide  the 
impulses  to  generous  conduct  by  suggestions. 
The  spirit  of  benevolence  and  the  missionary 
spirit  can  now  be  cultivated.  It  is  the  hour  for 
first  insight  into  the  working  plans  of  the  cburch. 
The  practical  mind  of  the  Junior  pupil  asks,  How 
is  it  done?     What  is  it  for?     Where  does  the 

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THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

money  go?  Who  pays  the  minister?  Wkj  buys 
the  coal?  Who  helps  the  poor?  These  are  the 
morning  hours  of  Christian  stewardship.  Mrs. 
M.  J.  Kennedy  says:  "Long  ago  I  had  some  boys 
who  used  laughingly  to  say  that  I  expected  them 
all  to  become  deacons,  trustees,  or  superintend- 
ents. Every  one  of  that  group  has  become  one 
or  other  such  officer." 

Right  and  Wrong.  The  keenest  inquiry  of  the 
Junior  is  about  the  certainties  of  life.  He  wants 
to  know  its  laws ;  what  is  really  true,  what  is  not 
true.  ''What  is  right  and  what  is  wrong?"  are 
the  questions  he  often  asks,  and  the  answer  from 
the  teacher  who  holds  his  respect  is  never  for- 
gotten. "As  a  matter  of  fact,"  says  McKinley, 
"conscience  is  formed  and  fixed  for  life  in  most 
persons  before  they  are  twelve  years  old.  Only  a 
great  revolution  can  change  it  after  that." 

How  May  the  Training  Class  Help  the  Teacheb  of 
JtTNioB  Pupils? 

Present  the  characteristics  of  the  Junior  age  clearly. 

Suggest  the  best  books  obtainable,  chapters  in  large 
volumes,  and  special  articles  in  periodicals. 

Encourage  an  attentive  study  of  boys  and  girls  in 
the  Junior  age,  with  close  observation  of  their  games, 
friendships,  reading,  and  other  interests. 

Suggest  plans  for  week-day  entertainments  and  com- 
panionships with  boys  and  girls. 

Outline  plans  for  special  classes,  with  a  report  to 
training  class,  concerning  success  or  failure. 

122 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

Encourage  teacher  to  use  manual  work  as  an  ex- 
pression of  the  pupil's  ideas.  Impress  the  thought  that 
the  hand  is  ever  leading  the  brain  at  this  age. 

Encourage  careful  teaching  of  the  great  hymns,  the 
classic  chapters  of  the  Bible,  and  its  hero  narratives. 

Advise  the  constant  study  of  history  and  of  current 
records  of  deeds  of  bravery,  charity,  and  unselfishness 
that  may  be  presented  to  pupils. 

Study  delicate  and  effective  ways  in  which  cleanliness 
and  purity  and  the  refinements  of  life  may  be  set  be- 
fore the  pupil. 

Give  special  thought  and  study  to  the  troublesome 
pupil,  and  secure  a  story  of  personal  observation  that 
may  help  solve  particular  problems. 

Advise  regarding  discipline  and  the  kind  of  activity 
that  makes  discipline  unnecessary. 

Suggest  how  reverence  for  parents,  for  church,  and 
the  great  truths  of  religion  may  be  impressed. 

Study  the  most  tactful  and  successful  manner  of 
leading  the  pupil  to  accept  and  live  in  accord  with  the 
teachings  of  Jesus. 

Study  the  value  of  appeal  to  the  sense  of  fairness 
and  right  in  the  pupils  themselves  as  aids  in  securing 
order  and  gaining  attention. 

Recall  that  at  twelve  Christ  was  about  his  Father's 
work.  The  Junior  should  be  a  conscious  worker  with 
God. 

Make  use  of  the  stereoscope  and  stereograph  to  bring 
science,  customs,  and  great  pictures  within  the  real  grasp 
of  the  questioning,  fact-loving  mind. 

Drill  and  review  for  the  Junior  are  absolutely  essen- 
tial. They  should  be  conducted  with  spirit  and  anima- 
tion, but  the  essential  lessons  must  be  fixed  by  vigorous 
repetition. 

123 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 


XI 

THE  TRAINING  OF  THE  TEACHER  OF  GIRLS 

The  Young  Girl.  The  mother  who  keeps  the 
heart  of  the  young  girl  safe  in  her  affections,  and 
the  teacher  who  wins  her  life  for  pure  w^oman- 
hood  are  laying  up  treasures  the  most  costly  and 
precious  this  earth  contains.  On  the  one  side, 
the  young  girl  of  to-day  is  idealized  and  idolized. 
She  has  education,  wealth,  pleasure,  freedom 
offered  her  as  never  before  in  the  world.  But,  on 
the  other  side  of  the  account,  the  most  tragic 
and  heart-breaking  stories  of  modem  sin  find 
their  victims  in  the  young  girl.  Industry  bids 
greedily  for  the  toil  of  her  swift  fingers;  vice, 
rich  and  organized,  seeks  her  youth  and  beauty; 
luxury  appeals  to  her  love  of  the  beautiful ;  pleas- 
ures that  awaken  the  wildest  emotions  are  con- 
stantly appealing  to  her  sensitive  and  eager 
nature.  Whoever  walks  within  the  glow  of  the 
cluster  lights  of  the  city  highways  notes  that  the 
most  striking  feature,  in  the  earl}^  or  late  eve- 
ning, is  the  number  of  young  girls  abroad  with 
gay  clothing  and  excited  faces.  Many  are  clean 
in  life,  but  all  are  bent  on  pleasure.  They,  like 
true  daughters  of  Eve,  scatter  joy  and  sorrow 
with  both  hands.    No  one  can  see  them  without 

124 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

saying,  "Here  is  the  call  for  the  true  mother,  and 
here  is  a  mission  for  the  strong  woman  with  deep 
and  tender  love  for  her  kind  who  can  draw  these 
to  her  and  be,  indeed,  their  teacher." 

The  Girl  in  Her  Teens.  The  study  of  the  years 
between  twelve  and  twenty  has  brought  to  atten- 
tion problems  in  education  which  demand  keen 
insight  and  research.  The  boy  problem  has  meant 
the  bad  boy,  with  the  implication  that  it  included 
nearly  all  of  them.  The  girl  problem  has  usually 
suggested  the  silly,  frivolous  girl.  But  this  prob- 
lem of  the  teens,  this  question  of  youth,  is  the 
problem  of  all  education ;  it  is  the  puzzle  of  the 
home,  the  perplexity  of  the  public  school,  the  dis- 
may of  the  Sunday  school.  It  is  the  age  of  oppor- 
tunity, the  natural  time  of  conversion,  and  yet 
the  age  when  our  religious  teaching  has  been  the 
poorest.  It  is  the  age  that  registers  the  largest 
number  of  criminal  arrests.  It  is  the  age  when 
the  missionary,  the  scholar,  the  saint,  and  hero 
make  their  life  choices.  Youth  passes  the  most 
attractive  and  most  brilliant  period  of  life  in  the 
middle  years  of  adolescence,  and  yet  right  here 
have  been  the  saddest  failures.  If  you  are  a 
visitor  in  the  Sunday  school,  they  sometimes 
press  you  into  service.  It  is  to  teach  "a  class  of 
boys  just  now  without  a  teacher,  and  a  little  hard 
to  manage" ;  or  you  are  asked  to  try  "a  class  of 
girls,    whose    teacher    is    rather    irregular    and 

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THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

happens  to  be  absent  to-day."  It  is  the  ragged 
part  of  the  Sunday  school  organization.  It  is 
treated  with  shrugs  and  sighs.  It  is  now  time 
to  approach  with  full  intelligence  and  deep  ear- 
nestness this,  the  largest  problem  and  the  great- 
est opportunity  in  religious  education.  The  fact 
that  two,  and  often  three,  out  of  four  leave  the 
Sunday  school  in  these  years  has  been  regarded 
as  natural  and  to  be  expected,  something  for 
which  there  is  no  remedy.  We  have  talked  as 
though  we  were  no  more  responsible  for  it  than 
we  are  for  frost  and  midnight.  ''We  can't  change 
human  nature,  and  it  is  the  nature  of  the  boy  and 
the  girl  to  dislike  the  Sunday  school  at  that  age." 
But  the  fact  is  that  it  is  the  nature  of  the  vigor- 
ous and  overflowing  life  to  demand  sympathetic 
guidance  and  leading,  and  to  turn  away  from  the 
home  and  the  school  that  meets  this  demand  in  a 
way  that  is  feeble  or  blundering  or  cold.  The 
very  thing  we  are  set  to  do  is  to  cooperate  with 
God  in  molding  human  nature,  to  correct  the 
downward  bent  and  to  give  the  youth  at  this  crit- 
ical age  help  toward  that  which  is  highest. 

Sympathy  and  Guidance.  The  cry  of  the  girl's 
heart  is  for  sympathetic  and  confidential  friend- 
ship. "Nobody  understands  me,"  is  the  frequent 
complaint;  and  how  often  this  appeal  must  lie 
unspoken  beneath  the  frivolous  and  apparently 
defiant  attitude.     And   there  is   no  nobler  task 

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TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

assigned  to  the  woman  than  to  reveal  Christian 
womanliood  in  its  purity  and  in  its  refinement  to 
girls  in  this  formative  period  of  life.  Only  one 
who  can  read  the  deep  secrets  of  the  heart  and 
who  in  patience  and  the  swift  insight  of  love  can 
search  out  the  finer  qualities  and  see  the  possible, 
yet  unmolded,  character  in  the  growing  life  is 
equal  to  the  task.  The  abundance  of  life,  the 
splendid  energies  that  press  on  heart  and  brain 
for  exercise,  the  daydreams,  the  ideals,  the  ambi- 
tions and  yearnings  for  a  life  mission,  the  wild 
desire  for  joy,  make  youth,  with  its  new  sense  of 
personality,  a  mystery.  To  the  true  teacher  this 
is  a  challenge;  but  to  the  idle  and  untrained  it  is 
a  provocation.  Sympathy,  when  the  hunger  of 
the  heart  is  so  intense,  is  the  first  demand,  then 
guidance,  not  control;  for  the  hand  on  the  helm 
of  the  new  boat  just  putting  out  is  now  that  of 
the  owner,  almost  delirious  with  the  new  sense 
of  power  and  adventure,  ready  to  face  and,  if 
needs  be,  fight  the  world  for  freedom.  But  guid- 
ance, if  by  one  strong  enough  to  lead  and  to  call 
forth  admiration,  may  be  complete.  It  is  the  time 
of  the  new  birth  of  spiritual  powers.  All  that  has 
been  taught  and  all  that  has  been  believed  must 
be  confirmed  now  by  the  personal  will,  and  must 
come  to  the  test  of  the  mind's  own  judgment. 
The  day  has  come  for  settling  life  missions.  It 
is  the  time  when  a  single  hour  may  be  the  hour 

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THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

of  all  hours.  At  this  age  too  doubts  come  as  a 
natural  phase  in  the  struggles  of  the  developing 
mind.  No  longer  are  statements  accepted  on 
authority.  This  is  not  the  egotism  of  youth,  but 
the  coming  into  a  mind  of  one's  own,  the  facing 
of  questions  as  personal  questions,  and  the  ask- 
ing for  reasons  because  the  mind  cannot  be  satis- 
fied without  them.  Who  is  sufficient  ?  Who  dare 
come  with  untrained  hand?  Yet  who  dare 
neglect  and  leave  them  unguided?  The  highest 
privilege  offered  the  young  men  and  women  of 
Christian  character  in  America  is  to  impress  the 
youth  with  a  faith  that  is  warm  and  a  belief  that 
is  simple  and  clear,  and  yet  strong  enough  to 
meet  the  demands  of  to-morrow.  Having  won 
the  affection,  and  given  frank,  open  answers  to 
the  questions  that  are  sure  to  come,  the  real 
teacher  enters  the  pupil's  very  soul  and  strives  by 
all  urgencies  and  strong  counsels  to  secure  the 
action  that  will  bind  the  will  to  the  Christian 
ideal  and  the  heart  to  Christ. 

The  Social  Nature.  The  girl  now  seeks  the  most 
intimate  and  confidential  friendships  in  very 
small  groups  among  her  girl  companions.  These 
influences  rule  here  unless  the  mother  be  wise 
enough  to  hold  her  with  supreme  affection.  The 
teacher  must  win  the  heart  that  is  charged  with 
such  intense  emotions,  or  she  will  count  for  little 
in  the  girl's  life.     There  is  no  middle  way.    The 

128 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

teacher  will  be  a  confidential  friend  or  nothing. 
She  will  appeal  so  finely  to  the  nobler  feelings 
and  show  herself  so  true  a  friend  as  to  call  forth 
admiration  and  stand  as  a  sort  of  heroine,  or  she 
will  fail  utterly.  This  is  the  day  of  the  passion 
and  the  whirlwind,  and  no  mild  and  formal 
moralizing  will  suffice  for  the  teacher's  place 
with  lad  or  lass.  The  heart's  best  blood  must  be 
poured  out  to  win  and  keep  their  love  during 
these  years.  There  is  no  guidance  without  in- 
sight, and  no  true  insight  without  a  sympathy  so 
deep  and  eager  that  its  true  name  is  love. 

The  Helping  Hand.  A  superintendent  of  public 
schools  of  one  of  the  prosperous  cities  of  the 
Central  West  made  the  statement  in  public 
recently  that  two  girls  out  of  three  leaving  the 
high  school  before  graduation  did  so  because  they 
could  not  afford  to  dress  as  well  as  the  small 
group  from  well-to-do  families.  This  suggests  bit- 
ter disappointment  and  mental  suffering  of  these 
girls  that  cannot  be  known.  To  some  of  them  it 
doubtless  meant  the  lowering  of  life's  ideals  in 
despair.  The  mission  of  the  religious  teacher  is 
here  made  plain.  She  can  make  her  class  a  center 
of  new  hopes  and  higher  ambitions.  Her  delicate 
appreciation  of  the  longing  for  beauty  and  the 
yearning  for  elegance  that  is  right  and  natural 
in  the  life  of  the  young  girl  will  give  her  insight 
into    the    wounded    feelings    of    those    who    are 

129 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

turned  aside  by  want  of  money  and  will  enable 
her  to  give  the  help  that  only  a  woman  of  refine- 
ment and  Christian  sympathy  can  render.  A 
door  of  hope  is  needed  for  many  a  girl  who  has 
never  fallen  into  the  mire,  but  who  is  over- 
whelmed by  her  intense  love  of  amusement  or 
embittered  by  the  social  disappointments  which 
she  meets  in  the  conditions  of  society  where 
extravagant  expenditure  of  money  offers  oppor- 
tunity to  the  few  and  shuts  the  door  to  many. 
The  heart  of  the  teacher,  the  friendship  of  the 
class,  and  the  spirit  of  the  Church  should  be  the 
inspiration  to  a  nobler  life.  For  such  service 
the  finest  types  of  Christian  womanhood  are  re- 
quired. 

Studying  Conditions.  Mrs.  Lamoreaux  (in  the 
Westminster  Teacher)  thus  describes  her  own 
early  teaching  and  her  surprise  as  she  entered 
into  the  wider  experiences  of  life  in  searching  for 
the  real  conditions  surrounding  the  girls  in  her 
class:  "While  the  fundamental  thing  was  done 
for  these  girls,  a  vital  thing  was  left  undone,  be- 
cause a  young  teacher  living  in  an  ideal  Christian 
home  could  not  know  the  need  for  doing  it.  There 
was  no  careful  study  of  conditions  in  home, 
school,  and  office  where  these  girls  were  to  build 
their  Christian  characters.  The  teacher  had 
never  seen  a  home  where  the  mother  told  her 
daughter  she  'was  not  worth  the  powder  it  would 

130 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

take  to  blow  her  into  eternity.'  She  did  not 
know  that  countless  girls  have  mothers  who  'do 
not  understand.'  She  did  not  know  of  that  vast 
multitude  of  girls  who  'can't  tell  mother.'  She 
had  never  listened  to  stories  told  in  tones  vibrant 
with  intensity  of  the  struggles  to  be  true  and 
pure  and  womanly  in  the  business  world.  That 
a  girl's  position  could  be  in  danger,  if  she  clung 
to  her  high  ideals;  that  there  might  be  perhaps 
in  her  very  class  a  girl  who  did  not  earn  enough 
to  live  upon  and  be  good,  she  had  never  dreamed. 
But  the  sad  knowledge  has  come  since;  and  if 
again  the  opportunity  were  hers  with  that  class 
of  girls,  the  teacher  would  go  downi  into  the 
depths  of  every  life.  She  would  know  the  con- 
ditions surrounding  every  girl  day  by  day,  she 
would  enter  into  her  pupils'  lives,  and  hand-in- 
hand  they  two  would  battle,  teacher  and  pupil,  if 
battle  there  had  to  be." 

Miss  Jane  Addams  says :  "For  youth  is  so  vivid 
an  element  in  life  that  unless  it  is  cherished,  all 
the  rest  is  spoiled.  The  most  praiseworthy 
journey  grows  dull  and  leaden  unless  compan- 
ioned by  youth's  iridescent  dreams.  Not  only 
that,  but  the  mature  of  each  generation  run  a 
grave  risk  of  putting  their  efforts  in  a  futile  direc- 
tion, in  a  blind  alley  as  it  were,  unless  they  can 
keep  in  touch  with  the  youth  of  their  own  day 
and    know   at    least   the   trend   in    which   eager 

131 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

dreams  are  driving  them — those  dreams  that 
fairly  buffet  our  faces  as  we  walk  the  city 
streets."  Another  recent  writer  says :  ''When  all 
has  been  said  and  done,  there  is  nothing  that  will 
give  you  quite  such  a  hold  ujjon  the  girl  as  to 
make  her  feel  that  between  you  and  her  there  is 
some  personal  bond  of  which  no  one  else  knows. 
This  does  not  mean  special  favorites  or  teacher's 
pets ;  it  is  possible  for  the  teacher  of  any  class  of 
moderate  size  to  establish  some  personal  relation 
between  herself  and  each  member  of  the  class. 
But  the  thing  to  be  gained?  Just  this:  you  will 
have  ojjened  the  way  for  that  which  may  some 
day  mean  everything  for  the  girl.  If  she  feels 
that  there  is  an  understanding  between  you  and 
her,  she  will  not  be  afraid  to  come  to  you  when 
she  is  in  real  need  of  counsel.  It  is  because  the 
girl  does  not  always  know  there  is  some  one 
whom  she  has  no  reason  to  fear  that  some  of  our 
work  ends  in  heartbreaking  failures." 

What  Can  the  Training  Class  Do  for  the  Young 
Girl's  Teacher? 

It  can  lead  her  to  study  the  adolescent  girl,  physi- 
cally, mentally,  spiritually. 

It  can  direct  her  to  the  value  and  methods  of  class 
organization. 

It  can  suggest  the  activities  and  methods  approved 
by  the  various  girls'  clubs  and  societies. 

It  can  gather  and  outline  information  regarding  local 
needs  in  charity  hospitals. 

132 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

It  can  give  lists  of  best  books  for  social  activities. 

It  can  direct  the  study  of  life  problems  suitable  to 
girls. 

It  can  bring  the  young  teacher  into  close  friendship 
with  teachers  rich  in  experience. 

It  can  awaken  and  sustain  her  enthusiasm  in  the  face 
of  discouragements. 

It  can  lead  her  to  study  the  work  of  the  Young  Wom- 
en's Christian  Association,  the  Camp  Fire  Girls,  and 
other  organizations  that  are  enriching  girl  life. 

It  can  interest  her  in  attention  at  girls'  conferences, 
where  the  large  groups  of  girls  give  expression  to  their 
needs  and  wants  under  skillful  guidance. 

It  can  direct  attendance  to  the  need  of  study  by  leaders 
in  the  Church  of  fields  of  employment  open  to  girls. 

It  can  enlist  the  interest  of  competent  women  in  dis- 
covering and  meeting  actual  difficulties  in  the  life  of 
employed  girls. 

It  can  secure  and  place  in  an  available  workers'  li- 
brary the  books  especially  fitted  to  answer  the  questions 
of  girl  life. 


133 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 


XII 
THE  TRAINING  OF  THE  TEACHER  OF  BOYS 

The  Young  Man  as  a  Teacher.  "It  is  the  expe- 
rience of  our  men,"  says  a  leader  in  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association,  "that  we  can  get 
just  as  many  boys  in  Bible  study  as  we  can 
supply  older  boy  leadership."  One  of  the  graver 
responsibilities  resting  upon  those  who  are  look- 
ing to  the  future  of  the  Sunday  school  is  the  selec- 
tion and  training  of  teachers  for  classes  of  boys. 
Many  teachers  have  failed  with  these  trying 
problems  because  they  were  unfitted  for  the 
task.  There  should,  first,  be  careful  selection  of 
those  who  are  naturally  adapted  for  the  leader- 
ship of  boys.  The  necessary  qualities  of  sym- 
pathy, cordiality,  patience,  and  alertness  of  mind 
should  be  carefully  considered.  The  ideal  teacher 
undoubtedly  is  the  young  man  who  is  willing  to 
give  time,  whose  character  will  inspire  confi- 
dence, whose  interest  is  intense  enough  to  lead 
him  to  a  careful  study  of  the  problems  of  boy 
life.  He  should  prepare  with  a  view  to  some  years 
of  service.  No  offhand  or  easy  answer  to  the 
questions  which  have  often  been  found  so  serious 
will  avail.  The  relationships  established  should 
be  very  close  and  cannot  be  easily  broken  with- 

134 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

out  serious  loss.  For  intermediate  boys  the  best 
teacher  is  often  a  young  man  two  or  three  years 
older  than  themselves  who,  under  the  careful  guid- 
ance and  with  the  supervision  of  well-trained, 
older  teachers,  can,  like  a  brother,  secure  the  con- 
fidence and  love  of  the  boys. 

The  Woman  as  a  Teacher.  While  in  theory  the 
man  is  the  best  teacher  for  the  boy,  the  work  done 
by  women  as  teachers  has  produced  such  rich 
result  in  thousands  of  lives  that  no  theory  should 
lead  us  to  depreciate  the  value  of  her  service. 
Indeed,  woman  often  makes  an  appeal  to  the 
boy's  heart  which  can  be  made  by  no  other.  She 
awakens  all  the  chivalry  of  his  nature.  She  looks 
upon  him  with  a  faith  that  a  man  can  seldom 
bestow.  She  has  a  patience  and  tact  which  do 
not  belong  to  the  man.  Many  a  boy  has  not 
found  in  his  home  life  or  in  any  associations  the 
restraining  and  refining  power  of  a  Christian 
woman's  affection  and  guidance.  Often  the  boy 
has  been  surrounded  by  men  and  boys  whose 
coarse  and  careless  words  he  has  heard  all  the 
days  of  the  week,  and  a  woman,  with  her  refine- 
ment, delicacy,  and  faith,  comes  as  a  sweet  and 
gracious  influence  in  his  life,  calling  to  expres- 
sion all  that  is  best  within  him.  She  cannot  join 
in  athletic  games  and  take  part  in  the  sports  as 
a  man  may  do  at  times,  but  she  can  do  what  is 
often  even  more  important:  she  can  inspire  by 

135 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

her  presence,  put  to  shame  all  meanness,  and 
demand  the  highest  manliness  of  conduct.  But 
here  the  difference  between  teaching  and  training 
must  be  considered.  The  woman  is  nearly  always 
the  better  teacher,  but  training  comes  rather  from 
the  outdoor  and  week-day  life,  and  by  example. 
The  attitude  of  a  manly  Christian  toward  amuse- 
ment, sport,  daily  habits,  industry,  honesty,  and, 
finally,  toward  religion,  is  the  most  important 
influence  that  can  come  to  boys  at  this  age. 

Youth  as  a  Problem.  Manj'  teachers  have 
sadly  failed  through  the  past  j'ears  with  classes 
of  boys  because  ignorant  of  certain  important 
things  that  are  essential  to  successful  manage- 
ment. Many  of  these  teachers  were  faithful  and 
earnest  and  were  bitterly  disappointed  over  their 
failures.  The  new  knowledge  of  youth  that  has 
come  to  us  has  been  wrought  out  by  the  most 
accurate  and  scientific  research.  This  investiga- 
tion has  been  as  thorough  and  valuable  as  any 
inquiry  which  science  has  made,  and  it  is  now 
available  in  such  practical  form  that  all  who 
would  assume  the  high  responsibility  of  guiding 
the  lad  must  at  least  be  acquainted  with  its  more 
important  contributions.  Adolescence  was  a  word 
unknown  in  popular  usage  ten  years  ago,  but  it 
has  now  come  into  the  range  of  general  knowl- 
edge, and  suggests  that  physical  and  intellectual 
and  moral  awakening  of  which  the  teacher  must 

136 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

be  aware  who  is  to  understand  what  transpires 
in  the  heart  of  a  lad  during  the  fateful  years 
from  thirteen  to  sixteen. 

Positive  Leadership.  The  relation  of  the  Church 
to  youth  has  often  been  that  of  continual  reproof 
and  repression.  In  after  years  intense  efforts 
have  been  made  at  rescue  and  reformation.  It 
is  now  seen  that  intelligent  teaching  in  the  early 
years,  with  sympathy  and  insight,  is  a  far  more 
economical  expenditure  of  strength  than  any  pos- 
sible effort  for  reconstruction  after  follies  and 
mistakes  have  been  made.  Medical  science  now 
expends  its  strength  on  preventive  measures.  Its 
advance  has  been  far  more  rapid  in  the  field  of 
preventive  science  than  in  securing  new  knowl- 
edge of  remedies.  Cholera  and  yellow  fever  and 
tuberculosis  are  almost  as  dread  diseases  to  med- 
ical science  to-day  as  they  were  of  old,  but  the 
advance  has  been  made  in  prevention.  Many 
details  regarding  sanitary  conditions  of  life, 
which  were  formerly  regarded  as  too  insignificant 
to  engage  attention,  are  now  proven  the  most 
effective  measures  for  preserving  public  health. 
In  the  same  manner  the  more  dramatic  and 
intense  efforts  to  secure  the  conversion  of  the 
adult  are  far  less  effective  in  results  than  true 
work  for  the  upbuilding  of  moral  and  religious 
character  in  boys  and  girls. 

New  Social  Interests.  The  boy  is  an  individual 
137 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

now,  claiming  his  own  freedom,  strong  in  the  use 
of  his  will.  If  it  is  always  necessary  to  consider 
the  question  of  interest  in  regard  to  the  child, 
it  is  even  more  essential  to  ask,  "What  are  the 
interests  of  a  hoyT'  Whoever  is  preparing  to 
teach  boys  must  take  notice  at  once  of  the  rapid 
development  of  the  social  nature.  The  boy's 
interest  is  in  team  work.  With  intense  yearning 
for  companionship,  he  seeks  boys  with  interests 
like  his  own,  and,  wherever  opportunity  is  given, 
groups  of  a  dozen  or  fifteen  will  be  found 
cemented  together  in  close  friendship.  A  careful 
study  of  these  groups  has  been  made  by  many 
workers  in  educational  and  religious  fields.  The 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association  and  many 
social  workers  have  given  great  thought  and  care 
to  it.  The  results  of  their  practical  experience 
and  their  experiments,  running  through  many 
3'ears,  can  be  readily  secured  by  the  student. 
Books  on  the  boy  are  now  abundant,  and  nearly 
all  of  them  contain  some  helpful  suggestions,  and 
a  few  of  them  are  rich  in  information  and  true 
to  the  best  educational  standards.  Knowledge  of 
the  possibility  of  self-government  in  boys'  clubs 
and  groups,  gangs  and  societies,  and  the  many 
forms  in  which  the  boy's  love  for  his  fellows  may 
be  given  natural  expression  under  the  direction 
of  older  persons  interested  in  him,  will  save  the 
coming  leader  from  many  mistakes  and  enable 

138 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

him  to  do  effective  work.  The  Sunday  school 
should  avail  itself  of  organization.  Often  the 
whole  Intermediate  Department  should  be  organ- 
ized, with  one  of  its  strongest  boys  as  president 
and  a  full  corps  of  boy  officers  and  committees. 
Each  class  too,  under  the  guidance  of  a  skillful 
and  sympathetic  supervisor,  can  use  name,  badge, 
and  full  organization  to  its  delight  and  profit. 
But  it  is  easy  to  blunder  in  this,  and  mistakes 
are  hard  to  correct.  If  the  prejudice  and  antag- 
onism of  the  boys  is  once  aroused,  it  is  difficult 
to  recall  them  or  kindle  new  interest. 

In  addition  to  this  social  spirit,  there  is  an 
intense  love  for  sport.  The  romping,  vigorous 
nature  of  the  boy  demands  athletic  exercise.  He 
wants  games  and  recreation ;  and  if  he  finds  them 
in  a  good  way,  he  will  be  satisfied.  If  not,  he 
is  apt  to  find  them  with  evil  or  less  helpful  com- 
panions. Wherever  the  Sunday  school  teacher 
can  give  an  evening  a  week  and  wisely  guide  the 
boys'  games  and  recreation,  or  their  athletic 
sports,  he  will  have  immediate  access  to  their 
hearts  and  be  able  to  bind  them  to  him  in  very 
close  friendship.  The  boy  has  an  intense  love 
for  nature.  Fields  and  woods,  animals  and 
flowers  and  growing  things  fill  him  with  delight. 
Wherever  it  is  possible  to  take  Saturday  after- 
noons or  half  days  in  strolling  and  investigation, 
the  way  is  often  prepared  for  far  more  valuable 

139 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

meetings  at  the  Sunday  school  hour.  The  teacher 
can  learn  much  from  the  Boy  Scout  movement 
and  other  boys'  organizations  in  their  appeal  to 
the  boy's  love  of  exercise  and  his  desire  for 
power,  adventure,  and  willingness  to  serve. 

New  Mental  Interests.  In  these  years  the  boy 
is  often  a  most  greedy  reader  of  books.  All  sorts 
of  hero  tales  are  read  with  avidity.  He  takes  in 
wide  sweeps  of  history  and  much  that  is 
romantic;  but  he  worships  strength  and  daring. 
So  the  teacher's  use  of  the  Bible  will  demand 
wide  range  of  Old  Testament  heroes,  and  the 
strong  characters  in  patriotic  and  religious  his- 
tory will  bring  never-ceasing  delight  to  his  class 
and  afford  him  abundant  illustration  for  the 
lessons  he  strives  to  impress.  This  is  a  time  of 
the  beginning  of  questions  and  doubts.  The  boy 
is  no  longer  a  child  under  authority.  He  may  be 
still  compelled  in  a  way  by  physical  necessity, 
but  his  mind  demands  freedom  and  the  older 
boy  asks  the  great  and  fundamental  questions 
about  God  and  the  Bible  and  the  essential  facts 
of  right  and  wrong  in  life  and  wants  an  answer 
for  them.  His  asking  must  be  met  with  prompt 
and  fair  statement  that  will  put  at  his  command 
in  short  words  the  great  truths  that  are  known. 
The  heritage  of  the  race  in  morals  and  religion 
should  be  placed  within  his  reach,  that  he  may 
take  it  to  heart  and  ponder  it. 

140 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

The  Joy  of  Service.  The  teachers  of  Interme- 
diate classes  have  good  reason  to  make  careful 
study  of  social  service,  for  the  day  comes  when 
the  spirit  of  altruism  bursts  forth  like  a  moun- 
tain spring  in  the  adolescent  classes,  and  they 
come  asking,  with  the  glow  of  eagerness  on  their 
faces,  "What  is  there  for  us  to  do?"  They  scorn 
the  little  sentimental  oflerings  and  ask  for  s(mie 
tasks  and  surrenders  that  demand  heroic  en- 
deavor, or,  at  least,  actual  service  and  hard  work. 
They  want  to  take  part  in  a  movement  that  is  not 
mere  play,  but  accomplishes  something  in  better- 
ment that  is  worth  while.  It  is  a  sad  day  for  the 
leader  of  impulsive  youth  who  is  called  upon  to 
direct  their  steps  into  some  line  of  the  world's 
real  battle,  and  who,  with  silent  lips,  drops  the 
standard  in  ignorance,  or  plays  the  coward  before 
these  ardent  young  soldiers.  It  must  be  made 
clear  to  them  that  the  work  of  the  Kingdom  is 
not  always  on  far-away  mission  fields  nor  in  some 
heroic  age  long  i)ast.  They  should,  rather,  be 
acquainted  with  needs  in  their  own  town  or  city. 
But  especially  should  the  Christian  spirit  of  fair 
play,  of  social  opportunity  and  real  justice  be 
made  plain  to  them.  Their  intense  longing  for 
amusement  and  personal  power  should  be  re- 
strained from  selfsh  expression  by  clear  teaching 
regarding  the  rights  of  the  less  fortunate.  They 
must  learn  through  Christian  teaching  to  note  the 

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THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

effect  of  their  actions  upon  the  happiness  of 
others.  A  certain  fine  respect  for  other  people, 
a  true  Christian  chivalry,  can  be  taught  in  the 
early  adolescent  years.  But  they  should  learn 
that  true  adventure,  the  righting  of  wrongs,  the 
service  to  the  poor  and  troubled  can  be  found 
close  at  hand.  The  cruel  prejudices  of  social 
caste,  the  pride  and  greed  in  regard  to  money,  are 
temptations  right  before  them  in  the  pathway. 
Appeal  bravely  to  the  unselfish  spirit. 

The  Spiritual  Awakening.  Under  the  rough  and 
careless  outer  form^  the  noise  and  slang,  there 
will  be  found  a  heart  open  for  the  spiritual 
messages.  Frequently  this  will  require  a  close 
personal  relationship  and  intimate  conversations 
between  teacher  and  pupil ;  but  where  the  teacher 
has  tact  and  a  real  desire  to  develop  the  highest 
character  and  serve  the  nobler  needs  of  the  boy, 
he  will  quickly  detect  this  spiritual  hunger.  Boy 
conferences,  frequently  held  of  late,  have  shown 
the  boy  ready  to  respond  to  the  leader  who  knows 
how  to  make  the  straight  religious  appeal  in  the 
terms  of  the  boy's  own  needs  and  experiences.  "I 
didn't  know  there  were  so  many  Christian  boys" 
is  a  frequent  expression  at  such  conferences. 

A  Question  of  Personality.  Teaching  is,  in  a 
large  measure,  during  these  years,  a  question  of 
personality.  The  teacher  who  can  really  be  the 
confidential  friend  of  his  pupils  can  wield  an  in- 

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TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

fluence  that  will  make  an  impression  for  life  that 
nothing  outside  the  home  circle  can  rival.  And 
yet  much  of  this  work  is  indirect.  It  is  often  not 
the  question  of  what  is  taught,  but  how  it  is 
taught;  not  so  much  what  is  said,  even,  as  who 
said  it.  And  so,  where  the  teacher's  life  is  guided 
by  the  idealism  of  a  true  Christian  faith,  where 
Christ  himself  is  the  object  of  the  heart's  deepest 
loyalty,  this  inner  life  will  be  felt  and  appreci- 
ated by  the  boys,  though  they  will  seldom  express 
it.  These  are  the  days  when  life  comes  to 
climaxes,  when  the  will  makes  its  great  decisions. 
Bible-teaching  should  now  center,  after  the  study 
of  older  Bible  heroes,  in  the  life  of  Christ;  and 
he  should  be  presented  as  the  hero  and  leader  of 
men,  and  one  whom,  throughout  all  ages,  the 
strongest  and  noblest  have  found  stronger  and 
nobler  than  themselves.  If  the  teacher  fail  to 
win  the  boy  to  Christ,  to  the  Church,  to  the  clean 
life,  and  to  a  noble  purpose,  he  has  lost  the  days 
of  richest  opportunity;  for  never  again  will  the 
boy  be  so  free  from  prejudice  or  influence  from 
without.  These  are  the  days  of  supreme  oppor- 
tunity, and  to  use  them  rightly  the  teacher  must 
prepare  himself  as  for  a  task  which  demands  the 
highest  powers  and  consecration  of  manhood. 
The  boy  thinks  about  religion ;  he  has  often  some 
religious  experience.  He  has  some  kind  of  creed. 
He  needs  help  in  his  thinking,  guidance  in  form- 

143 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

ing   his    faith,    and    warm,    manly    sympathy    in 
bringing  his  will  into  the  center  of  life. 
Suggestions 

Let  the  Intermediate  Department  have  separate 
organizations  for  boys  and  for  girls. 

Let  all  the  officers  in  the  boys'  department  be  boys;  in 
the  girls'  department,  girls. 

Organize  each  class  in  the  department  with  officers. 

Give  each  class  in  the  department  real  liberty  under 
careful  supervision. 

Find  the  right  man  as  teacher,  and  there  is  no  "boy 
problem." 

Let  the  teacher  develop  groups  in  his  class  according 
to  the  special  interests  of  the  boys. 

The  grouping  of  boys  should  be  fixed  around  some 
common  interests,   rather  than   by   exact  age. 

The  success  of  the  older  boy  as  a  Bible  teacher  has 
surprised  many  a  trained  worker. 

The  boy  is  religious,  but  it  is  expressed  more  in  activ- 
ity than  in  words;  he  fears  sentiment. 

Some  teachers  have  found  ten  minutes  opening, 
twenty  to  thirty  minutes  for  lesson,  and  twenty  minutes 
for  discussing  the  activities  of  class  and  groups  for  the 
ensuing  week  the  most  valuable  division  of  time. 

The  boy's  keen  sense  of  justice  makes  self-government 
effective. 

The  boy  loves  to  defy  or  test  authority,  but  self-gov- 
ernment gives  him  a  sense  of  responsibility. 

The  boy  has  no  respect  for  feeble,  sentimental  at- 
tempts at  authority. 

The  nonequipment  type  of  athletics  is  often  the  most 
successful;  a  good  room,  with  a  leader,  is  often  of  more 
value  to  the  boy  than  an  expensively  equipped  gym- 
nasium. 

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TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

The  leader  should  know  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association  and  its  methods  of  work  for  city  or  country. 

He  should  study  the  Boy  Scout  movement  and  learn 
how  to  cultivate  self-reliance  and  a  high  sense  of  honor. 

In  a  city  he  should  know  something  of  the  juvenile 
courts  and  the  causes  of  delinquency. 

He  should  spend  a  week  with  his  boys  in  camp,  if 
possible.  He  will  find  woodcraft  interests  the  country 
boy  as  much  as  it  delights  the  city  boy. 

He  should  expect  to  win  the  heart  of  every  lad  to 
Christ  and  see  him  brought  into  the  membership  of  the 
church  before  sixteen  years  of  age. 

Federation  of  the  boys'  departments  of  a  city  may 
be  made  a  powerful  organization. 

There  should  always  be  something  ahead,  in  lessons, 
organization,  and  service. 

Failure  in  grouping  as  to  characteristics  and  con- 
genial spirit  has  been  the  cause  of  many  losses. 

There  should  be  a  room,  with  some  periodicals,  pro- 
vided by  the  church  for  social  features,  under  proper 
control. 

The  school  session  that  is  made  attractive  to  boys  by 
its  promptness,  vigor,  and  directness  will  be  alike  at- 
tractive to  girls. 

Worth-while  services  for  boys  of  the  different  grades 
should  be  carefully  studied  by  the  leaders. 

The  training,  instruction,  and  organization  of  the 
boys'  classes  and  department  should  receive  the  careful 
consideration  of  the  pastor  and  officials  of  the  church. 

Boys'  conferences  have  awakened  many  a  lad  to  a 
new  life,  and  sent  him  home  with  a  zest  for  leadership 
in  noble  things. 

The  best  organization  of  a  school  may  be  a  "Teen  Year 
Department,"  with  officers  of  their  own  choosing,  rather 
than  separation  of  Intermediates  and   Seniors. 

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THE  TRAINI:NG  of  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 


XIII 

THE  TRAINING  OF  THE  TEACHER  OF  SENIOR 
PUPILS 

Demand  for  a  Separate  Department.  Every 
modern  and  well-equipped  Sunday  school  should 
have  a  well-developed  Senior  Department.  The 
numbers  representing  this  important  age  of  six- 
teen to  twenty  too  often  constitute  but  a  small 
part  of  the  school.  The  more  willing  have  been 
drawn  into  service  as  teachers  or  officers  in  the 
school;  those  less  interested  have  dropped  out  of 
its  ranks;  those  who  remain  are  often  scattered 
among  the  adult  classes.  AVhile  here  and  there  a 
strong  teacher  holds  a  class  of  Senior  students, 
a  definite  department  that  recognizes  the  dignity 
and  possibilities  of  the  years  of  later  adolescence 
is  seldom  found.  Wherever  the  problem  is  fairly 
stated  it  comes  at  once  a  challenge  to  the  alert, 
intellectual  young  manhood  and  young  woman- 
hood of  the  church  to  prepare  themselves  to  be 
friends  and  teachers  of  youth  in  these  years  rich 
with  promise  yet  fraught  with  temptation. 

Characteristics.  In  the  larger  schools  classes 
should  be  organized  from  groups  of  similar  ages 
and  interests.  The  rapid  changes  following  the 
Intermediate  years  demand  careful  organization 
and  a  full  recognition  of  new  interests  and  new 

146 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

relations  in  life.  Teachers  should  be  very  care- 
fully chosen  for  these  different  classes  of  stu- 
dents, with  a  view  to  their  social,  intellectual, 
and  moral  needs.  A  thorough  study  should  be 
made  of  the  week-day  life  and  occupations  of  the 
students.  Only  teachers  of  the  finest  character, 
of  positive  faith,  and  willing  to  sacrifice  time  and 
put  forth  abundant  effort,  can  possibly  hope  to 
meet  the  demands  in  these  critical  and  important 
years.  The  Senior  scholars  will  not  be  held  as 
passive  students.  They  are  not  only  willing  to 
assume  duties;  they  delight  in  tasks  that  call 
forth  strength.  They  enjoy  freedom  and  seek 
large  social  groups.  The  organization  and  man- 
agement of  the  department  should  be  in  their 
own  hands.  They  can  elect  its  officers,  provide 
for  its  committees,  and  outline  the  activities. 
This  fresh  life  and  hope,  the  fertile  suggestions 
and  daring  plans  for  aggressive  movements  that 
come  from  a  group  of  senior  scholars  once  awak- 
ened in  interest  make  it  one  of  the  most  effective 
and  inspiring  departments  of  the  whole  school. 

The  High  School  Student.  The  pupils  of  the 
high  school  form  so  influential  a  group  and  are 
under  such  distinct  conditions  of  life  that  they 
demand  teachers  fitted  to  meet  their  own  special 
needs.  There  is  a  marked  tendency  to  desert  the 
church  altogether  in  the  high  school  years.  They 
easily  become  absorbed  in  social  pleasure,  which 

147 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

is  often  allowed  far  too  early.  They  are  busy 
with  the  taxing  work  of  the  school,  and,  unless 
they  have  been  trained  in  previous  years  to  give 
definite  time  and  service  to  the  church,  consider 
themselves  exempt  from  all  regular  duties.  Only 
the  teacher  who  can  command  respect  and  inspire 
love  can  secure  from  them  that  cooperation  and 
loyalty  which  draws  them  away  from  the  duties 
and  fascinations  which  crowd  upon  them.  These 
are  the  children  of  privilege  and  many  of  them 
are  on  the  way  to  college  and  positions  of  highest 
influence.  They  should  be  the  object  of  great 
interest  and  attention  at  this  time,  not  only  for 
the  sake  of  their  own  characters,  but  for  the 
power  they  will  wield  in  the  years  to  come.  If 
they  are  neglected  now,  it  will  be  exceedingly 
difficult  to  enlist  them  later  in  religious  work. 
Their  departure  from  the  church  and  its  work  at 
this  time  often  means  their  final  loss  of  interest 
in  its  tasks  and  teachings. 

The  teacher  must  hold  their  confidence  implic- 
itly. They  are  merciless  critics,  but  devoted 
friends,  and  whoever  commands  their  intellectual 
respect  and  their  allegiance  of  heart  at  this  time 
will  be  able  to  make  a  powerful  impression  upon 
their  character.  Frankness,  sincerity,  and  cor- 
diality must  characterize  the  teacher.  The  ques- 
tions of  recreation  and  amusement  now  hold  such 
an    important    place    in    their   esteem    that    the 

148 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

teacher  must  deal  with  them  with  great  tact  and 
patience.  Doubts,  which  come  with  new  knowl- 
edge, must  be  met  with  an  intelligent  open-mind- 
edness.  These  doubts,  which  are  usually  honest 
and  entirely  sincere,  are  often  serious  unless  the 
teacher  has  the  assuring  power  of  a  clear  and  pos- 
itive faith  and  is  able  to  convince  the  student  that 
this  is  only  part  of  the  life  struggle  and  is  to  be 
faced  bravel}''  and  fairly.  The  effort  to  gain  a 
faith  that  meets  the  need  of  enlarging  experiences 
of  life  is  often  attended  by  hard  struggle.  The 
teacher  must  be  prepared  to  guide  with  sympathy 
and  respect  these  strivings  for  a  personal  state- 
ment of  religion.  The  wise  teacher  seeks  the 
exf>ression  of  high  ideals  in  conduct,  using  little 
argument. 

The  College  Student.  A  class  consisting  of  col- 
lege students  demands  particular  attention. 
Wherever  the  Sunday  school  is  related  to  the  col- 
lege, there  is  the  opportunity  for  special  classes 
for  Bible  study  which  will  quickly  open  the  way 
to  larger  Christian  service  under  inspiring  leader- 
ship. The  groups  in  the  Young  ^Men's  Christian 
Associations,  connected  with  these  institutions, 
are  doing  work  of  great  value.  But  in  addition 
to  these  the  Sunday'  school  should  offer  classes 
for  instruction,  with  close  organization  and  most 
careful  and  thorough  teaching.  Sometimes  there 
is  a  wide  gap  between  the  college  and  the  Sunday 

149 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

school,  and  students  do  not  regard  it  as  an  insti- 
tution in  which,  they  are  especially  interested; 
yet  no  Sunday  school  in  close  relation  to  the  col- 
lege, with  its  groups  of  young  men  or  young 
women  who  promise  so  much  for  future  leader- 
ship, should  allow  them  to  pass  through  these 
formative  years  without  finding  instruction 
within  the  walls  of  the  church  itself.  To  attract 
and  hold  them  it  must  command  their  highest 
respect  and  their  truest  loyalty.  Teachers  from 
college  ranks  and  talented  men  and  women  in 
the  college  community  should  be  asked  to  under- 
take this  work  and  to  give  the  Sunday  school 
class  a  high  educational  and  social  rank.  Often 
the  college  students  should  be  organized  in  a  de- 
partment by  themselves,  but  it  should  never  be 
attempted  until  the  courses  of  study,  teaching, 
and  organization  are  of  a  character  to  command 
their  respect. 

The  Student  in  the  Oflfice  or  Store.  While  much 
attention  is  given  to  high  school  and  college  stu- 
dents, it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  only  one  in 
five  enters  the  high  school,  and  only  two  out  of  a 
hundred  attend  the  college.  The  problem  of  the 
eighty  or  ninety  is,  after  all,  the  great  question 
confronting  the  Church.  A  large  number  of 
these  hold  positions  in  oflSces  and  stores.  They 
require  special  attention.  They  are  busy  through- 
out the  week.     Heavy  demands  are  made  upon 

160 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

their  time  and  strength.  They  often  fret  under 
the  confinement  and  severe  duties  placed  upon 
them  early  in  life.  Many  of  them  are  carrying 
heavy  burdens,  oftentimes  with  small  wages. 
They  have  the  desire  for  pleasure,  for  dress,  and 
for  the  high  standards  of  living.  The  church 
must  be  made  very  attractive  to  them,  if  it  is  to 
command  their  interest  and  attention.  Carefully 
organized  classes,  mixed  at  times,  or  with  a  sep- 
aration of  young  men  and  women,  will  be  neces- 
sary. Leaders  of  their  own  number  should  be 
chosen  as  officers.  The  teacher  will  not  find  here 
the  same  problems  of  doubt  and  intellectual 
unrest.  The  questions  are  not  those  of  higher 
criticism  or  the  relation  between  science  and 
religion,  but  the  practical  questions  of  Christian 
morality.  The  sharp,  shrewd  spirit  of  the  world 
asks  whether  the  church  is  of  any  value,  and  the 
restlessness  of  youth  wants  freedom.  Hence  the 
teacher  must  have  social  tact,  positive  convic- 
tions, great  sympathy,  and  a  clear  knowledge  of 
the  conditions  of  life  in  which  each  one  lives  and 
works  in  order  to  give  them  that  view  of  life  and 
Christian  character  which  they  most  need  at  this 
time  of  life.  Here  too  class  organization  will  aid 
in  making  the  church  a  social  center  for  them. 
The  forming  and  guidance  of  social  groups  will 
be  one  of  the  highest  offices  of  the  church. 

Workers  in  Factories  and  Shops.    Another  group, 
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THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

with  a  dififerent  mental  and  social  outlook,  in- 
cludes the  great  number  who  work  with  their 
hands  in  shops  and  factories.  The  Church  has, 
as  a  rule,  signally  failed  to  reach  these.  The 
spirit  of  unrest  in  the  working  man  to-day  is  a 
story  told  in  thousands  of  pages  of  intense  dis- 
cussion. The  problem  of  the  employed  boy  and 
of  the  working  girl  is  one  which  the  Church  can 
handle  more  readily  than  that  of  the  man  at 
work.  If  it  can  offer  something  in  the  way  of 
athletics  and  social  life,  if  it  can  group  in  real 
friendship  and  offer  something  for  the  loneliness 
and  restlessness  of  life  at  this  age  that  is  really 
gratifying  and  uplifting,  it  will  accomplish  a 
work  worth  great  expense  and  sacrifice.  No 
teacher  can  hope  to  meet  this  problem  without 
expenditure  of  heart  and  hand.  The  toil  will  be 
a  heavy  draft  upon  his  energies,  but  the  returns 
will  be  rich  in  life  values,  for  all  of  the  coarser 
amusements,  all  of  the  glamour  of  vice,  all  of 
the  tremendous  unrest  regarding  wages  and  labor 
appeal  to  these  young  people.  Their  week-day 
surroundings  are  seldom  conducive  to  high  mo- 
rality or  to  true  religious  life.  If  they  are  drawn 
together  on  Sunday  and  are  really  instructed  and 
inspired,  it  will  be  done  only  by  the  teachers  who 
are  willing  to  pay  the  price. 

The  Christian  Spirit  in  Service.     Many  young 
men  and  women  are  now  devoting  their  lives  to 

152 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

work  in  social  settlements,  in  the  service  of 
organized  charities,  and  other  endeavors  of  a 
non-religions  character  to  relieve  the  misery  of 
the  world  about  them.  Often  they  are  out  of 
sympathy  with  the  church  because  they  have  not 
found  it  active  in  practical  work  and  in  a  critical 
attitude  toward  all  formal  statements  of  Chris- 
tian faith,  and  yet  they  are  giving  their  lives  in 
the  most  unselfish  way  for  the  betterment  of 
humanity.  They  are  striving  to  do  essentially 
Christian  work  without  the  inspiration  of  the 
gospel.  Many  of  these  hearts  will  grow  sad  under 
the  great  burden,  and  shoulders  weary  under  the 
heavy  tasks.  One  of  the  privileges  of  the  true 
teacher  will  be  to  search  for  students  with  high 
ideals  and  strive  to  meet  their  intellectual  diffi- 
culties and  to  unfold  to  them  the  essential  charity 
and  uplifting  power  in  the  gospel  of  Christ.  It 
will  often  require  great  patience,  insight,  and 
love  to  guide  these  daring,  restless  young  lives. 
No  service  for  humanity  can  be  so  true,  so  fine, 
and  so  strong  as  that  which  is  close  to  the  heart 
of  Christ;  and  it  is  worth  while  for  the  teacher 
to  labor  long  to  prevent  this  sei)aration  between 
the  yearning  to  serve  and  the  acceptance  of  es- 
sential Christian  faith. 

Vital  Question?.  The  sterner  questions  of  life 
will  call  for  an  answer:  What  is  prayer?  What 
is  the  value  of  the  Bible?  the  reality  of  the  spirit- 

153 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

ual  life?  Many  quastions  about  moral  standards 
will  also  arise.  General  and  often  personal  ques- 
tions about  aims  in  life  will  be  put  to  the  Sun- 
day school  teacher  as  to  no  one  else.  This  teacher, 
then,  must  be  counselor  and  confidant,  must  be 
ready  to  suggest  books  and  reading,  to  give 
counsel  about  companionship,  about  school,  and 
work,  and  profession.  He  must  be  a  companion 
in  the  outdoor  life  and  a  friend  to  the  heart,  be- 
cause often  no  one  will  be  so  near  and  have  so 
rich  an  opportunity  for  influence.  The  teacher 
must  face  the  questions  of  doubt  with  students 
of  books.  Tennyson's  story  of  the  inner  life  of 
his  young  friend  Hallam  is  a  noble  instance: 

He  fought  his  doubts  and  gathered  strength, 
He  would  not  make  his  judgment  blind, 
He  faced  the  specters  of  the  mind 

And  laid  them:  thus  he  came  at  length 

To  find  a  stronger  faith  his  own; 

And  Power  was  with  him  in  the  night, 
Which  makes  the  darkness  and  the  light. 

And  dwells  not  in  the  light  alone. 

Some  of  them  will  be  interested  in  the  histor- 
ical study  of  the  Bible  and  in  the  history  and 
date  of  its  books.  To  them  the  question  of  in- 
spiration and  revelation  will  be  a  subject  of 
intense  interest.  A  far  larger  number  will  be 
troubled  about  tlie  scientific  and  religious  ques- 

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TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

tions.  All  the  books  they  read  and  all  the  classes 
they  attend  spur  them  on  to  a  critical  search  for 
the  laws  of  the  material  world  around  them. 
The  teacher  who  can  show  them  God  behind  the 
law  and  the  realities  of  spiritual  things  will  be 
able  to  render  an  inestimable  service  in  these 
days  of  anxiety  and  unsettlement. 

For  these  out  in  the  business  and  workaday 
world,  the  questions  will  be  of  a  most  immediate 
and  practical  nature.  There  will  be  questions  of 
the  shop  and  the  street  and  the  office,  of  the 
amusement  park  and  of  the  gayer  life  of  pleasure. 
How  to  exalt  the  Bible,  put  it  in  its  true  place, 
how  to  reveal  the  truth  about  prayer,  how  to  pre- 
sent Jesus  Christ  as  Lord  and  Saviour  command- 
ing the  absolute  loyalty  of  the  heart,  and  how  to 
reveal  the  immanent  God  will  be  the  subject  of 
much  thought  and  prayer  on  the  part  of  the 
teacher  who  faces  this  responsibility  to  heart  and 
brain  with  a  full  sense  of  responsibility  and 
privilege. 

Discussion.  Professor  F.  C.  Sharp  says:  "The 
power  and  habit  of  reflecting  upon  moral  issues 
of  life  can  be  developed  only  by  exercise.  The 
procedure  employed  will,  accordingly,  be  system- 
atic class  discussion,  a  discussion  led,  but  never 
dominated,  by  the  teacher.  These  discussions 
should  be  preceded  by  careful  preparation  on  the 
part  of  the  pupil.    Ordinarily,  the  subject-matter 

155 


THE  TEAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

will  be  supplied  by  a  series  of  questions  distrib- 
uted to  the  pupils  in  advance.  The  pupils  should 
be  urged  not  merely  to  reflect  upon  them  seri- 
ously by  themselves  but  to  talk  them  over  with 
friends,  classmates,  and  parents." 

The  Call  of  the  Church.  Is  joining  the  Church 
a  duty?  Dr.  Charles  E.  Jefferson  says:  "Almost 
all  the  virtues  and  graces  urged  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment are  social  graces  and  virtues.  Man  is 
human  only  in  society:  a  Christian  is  genuinely 
Christian  only  in  the  Church,  A  Christian  out- 
side the  Church  is  abnormal,  stunted,  maimed. 
The  Church  is  the  home  of  the  Christian  life,  and 
it  is  only  in  fellowship  with  believers  that  the 
soul  comes  to  know  the  dimensions  of  that  love 
which  passes  knowledge.  The  Christian  is  also 
a  worker^  a  soldier,  a  savior.  He  must  be  a  profit- 
able servant,  an  effective  soldier,  a  loving  savior. 
Group  strength  is  the  only  form  of  strength  suffi- 
cient to  solve  the  problems  or  overcome  the  evils 
of  this  world.  An  isolated  man  is  impotent.  A 
detached  Christian  is  unprofitable.  Soldiers  who 
really  mean  to  fight  march  with  the  army. 
Workers  who  want  their  work  to  count  work 
together.  If  the  Church  is  indeed  the  body  of 
Christ,  the  organ  through  which  he  speaks,  the 
instrument  by  which  he  works,  then  it  is  certainly 
the  duty  of  every  soul  desiring  to  fulfill  its  destiny 
to  become  an  integral  part  of  that  body." 

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TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

Practical  Suggestions 

Develop  types  of  study  classes  fitted  to  the  character- 
istics of  the  older  pupils.  Take  up  such  subjects  as 
Christian  history,  missions,  social  service  in  forms  of 
activity  related  to  the  community  and  country,  town  or 
city. 

Training  classes  for  those  who  give  promise  of  being 
"apt  to  teach." 

Classes  in  evidences  for  pupils  who  are  asking  ques- 
tions regarding  the  fundamentals  of  faith. 

Denominational  history.  Christian  polity,  and  social 
activities  for  maturer  pupils. 

Discussion  should  be  encouraged,  and  every  effort 
made  to  provoke  and  guide  original  expression.  Help- 
ing them  to  think  for  themselves  is  one  of  the  great 
objectives. 

A  full  understanding  of  the  methods  of  work,  organi- 
zation, responsibilities,  and  opportunities  of  the  local 
church  should  be  attained.     Study  "Our  Church." 

The  church  that  finds  nothing  for  its  young  people  to 
do  will  have  to  find  a  way  of  doing  without  them. 

One  of  the  best  magazines  dealing  with  the  problems 
of  social  life,  like  the  Survey,  should  be  at  hand  for  the 
use  of  the  class. 

A  free,  but  carefully  guided  discussion  of  the  problems 
of  the  day  upon  which  the  Christian  conscience  should 
be  alert  is  essential  to  the  true  work  of  a  Senior  class. 


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THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 


XIV 

THE  TRAINING  OF  THE  TEACHER  OF  THE 

WOMEN'S  CLASS 

The  Disproportionate  Emphasis.  We  have  had 
the  Laymen's  Missionary  Movement  and  the  Men 
and  Religion  Forward  Movement,  and  organized 
boys'  work.  All  these  things  we  ought  to  have 
done ;  many  of  them  we  have  too  long  left  undone. 
But  it  has  been  assumed  all  along  that,  if  we 
could  only  induce  men  and  boys  to  take  larger 
interest  in  religion  and  Bible  study,  the  essential 
part  of  religious  teaching  would  be  accomi)lished. 
The  interest  of  women  and  girls  was  too  much 
taken  for  granted. 

The  Need  of  a  New  Guidance.  The  Church,  as  a 
result,  has  failed  to  appeal  to  the  full  nature  of 
women.  She  has  been  asked  to  serve  at  its  tables 
and  has  given  her  strength  without  limit.  She 
has  assumed  a  large  share  of  the  interest  in  mis- 
sionary work,  and  her  organizations  have  been 
most  effective  in  their  educational  results.  She 
has  also  been  interested  in  charities  and  benev- 
olences. From  her  carefully  organized  societies 
she  has  sent  vast  sums  to  the  frontier  and  to  the 
foreign  field.  The  administration  of  her  trust 
has  been  careful  as  a  savings  bank.    The  mission- 

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TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

aries  she  has  sent  forth  guided  by  her  faith  and 
directed  by  her  insight,  have  gone  on  quests  dar- 
ing as  the  polar  expeditions.  But  the  Church  has 
failed  to  offer  to  her  proper  opportunities  for 
training,  for  instruction,  and  for  study  that  are 
essential  to  the  development  of  the  strongest  reli- 
gious character  and  the  highest  efficiency  in 
Christian  service.  The  result  has  been  a  great 
loss.  With  all  the  freedom  offered  American 
women,  she  shares  the  intellectual  unrest  of  the 
time.  It  reaches  her,  however,  in  a  way  differ- 
ent from  the  doubt  and  indifference  to  religion 
shown  among  many  classes  of  men.  Many  reli- 
gious fads  and  fancies,  Oriental  cults,  and  pecul- 
iar forms  of  mysticism  have  found  fertile  soil 
in  the  emotional  life  of  certain  types  of  American 
women.  When  she  has  strong  religious  longings 
and  little  religious  training,  the  occult  and  some- 
times the  novel  forms  of  religious  beliefs,  with 
their  bold  assertions,  prove  so  attractive  that 
many  almost  unconsciously  have  turned  away 
from  Christianity,  hoping  to  find  a  deeper  satis- 
faction in  some  new  teaching.  Whatever  criti- 
cisms we  may  offer  regarding  these  efforts  to 
solicit  the  faith  of  womanhood  or  regarding  her 
departure  from  the  churches,  the  remedy  must 
be  found  in  a  teaching  at  once  so  attractive  and 
so  positive  that  it  will  establish  her  in  Christian 
faith  and  doctrine.     No  one  who  knows  the  his- 

159 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

tory  of  Christianity  can  doubt  the  success  of  such 
teaching.  Any  just  criticism  must  ultimately 
fall  upon  our  failure  to  present  in  its  fullness  and 
richness  the  truth  that  has  so  fully  satisfied  both 
heart  and  brain  throughout  the  Christian  ages. 

The  Teacher's  Intellectual  Opportunity.  The  first 
need  is  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  Bible  itself. 
In  order  to  attract  interest  and  to  maintain  a 
class  of  students  throughout  a  series  of  years, 
there  must  be  a  comprehensive  plan  of  study. 
No  richer  opportunity  is  offered  than  a  study  of 
the  great  books  and  passages  of  the  Bible  in  the 
light  of  their  historical  setting.  Then  its  great 
messages  may  be  practically  applied  to  special 
needs.  The  poetry  of  the  Bible,  with  its  profound 
appeal  to  the  emotions,  stands  unique.  Nothing 
has  ever  so  touched  the  human  heart,  nothing  has 
ever  so  appealed  to  the  sense  of  reverence,  noth- 
ing has  ever  met  the  demand  of  the  aesthetic 
nature  in  its  loftiest  yearnings  as  the  mystical 
and  profound  words  of  the  Scriptures.  The  rich 
and  varied  pictures  of  home  life  throughout  the 
Bible  are  attractive  and  delightful  and  lend 
themselves  most  freely  to  practical  teaching.  The 
descriptions  of  character  are  so  true  to  life  that 
every  heart  recognizes  in  them  our  common  hu- 
manity. There  are  no  literary  studies  that  equal 
in  interest  the  historical,  the  poetic,  and  pro- 
phetic portions  of  the  Bible ;  and  no  appeal  to  the 

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TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

religious  nature  is  so  profound  as  that  made  by 
the  words  of  Jesus.  Intelligent  womanhood  must 
recognize  its  debt  to  Christianity,  and  amid  all 
the  aspirations  and  ambitions  for  better  things 
that  throb  in  the  heart  of  the  modern  woman, 
there  is  no  such  answer  as  that  found  in  the  Book 
of  books,  and  in  the  results  it  has  wrought  in 
the  uplifting  of  her  sex.  The  Orient  everywhere 
guarded  the  purity  of  woman,  but  the  ancient 
customs  veiled  her  face  or  deformed  her  feet  and 
made  her  house  a  prison.  She  was  always  held 
under  suspicion.  The  Bible,  however,  demands 
the  same  purity  from  man  as  from  woman.  There 
is  no  sex  in  the  Ten  Commandments,  and  in  the 
New  Testament  the  body  is  the  temple  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.  The  Oriental  life  made  the  home 
safe,  because  the  sword  was  hung  by  a  thread 
above  it.  In  Christian  society  the  home  is  safe 
because  it  is  sacred.  This  sacredness  of  home 
life  and  this  pure  morality,  flowing  from  the 
fountains  of  the  gospel,  should  be  taught  just  as 
forcibly  and  passionately  to-day  as  ever  in  the 
world's  history,  and  no  authority  will  be  found 
giving  such  weight  to  the  appeal  as  the  teachings 
of  the  Bible. 

The  Bible  Must  Be  Interpreted  Through  Personal 
Faith.  After  all,  nothing  is  so  attractive  as  the 
gosj)el  of  Christ  interpreted  through  a  heart 
aglow  with  love  and  a  mind  that  clearly  grasps 

161 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

its  central  truths.  This  does  not  imply  wide 
range  of  doctrinal  teaching,  but  it  does  mean 
definite  knowledge  and  religious  experience.  The 
finer  emotional  nature  of  woman  refuses  to  be 
satisfied  until  the  heart  has  felt  intensely.  The 
power  of  a  satisfied  heart  is  absolutely  essential 
to  wide  influence  in  teaching,  and  when  the 
teacher  meets  the  doubts  and  perplexities  that 
come  to  the  educated  woman,  she  must  be  able  to 
say,  in  the  words  of  the  Christian  mystic,  "I 
know  that  I  know."  Mrs.  Lamoreaux  truthfully 
says :  ''The  supreme  question  concerning  the  stu- 
dent is  not,  'Does  she  know  about  God,  the  Bible, 
the  Church,  and  Christian  service?'  but  'Does 
she  love  them?'  The  supreme  question  concern- 
ing a  teacher  is  not,  'Does  she  hold  a  teacher- 
training  diploma?'  but  'Can  she  teach  so  as  to 
lead  the  student  to  love  the  things  of  God?'  Per- 
sistently ask,  'What  do  they  love,  these  students 
of  mine?'  Knowledge  of  God  plus  love  of  him, 
attention  to  the  lesson  plus  love  for  it,  regular 
attendance  plus  love  of  coming,  acts  of  service 
plus  love  for  the  doing — these  are  the  teacher's 
goal." 

The  Teacher  Needs  an  Intelligent  Standard  of 
Christian  Service.  Womanhood  of  to-day  cannot 
face  the  suffering  and  poverty  of  the  world  with- 
out yearning  to  minister  to  it.  Multitudes  of 
them  are  blind  to  it  because  they  know  so  little; 

163 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

and  the  first  qualification  must  be  an  intelligent 
survey  of  actual  conditions.  This  knowledge  of 
life  near  at  hand  has  been  so  far  from  us  in  the 
past  that  the  most  ardent  spirit  has  often  found 
it  impossible  to  find  a  practical  task.  But  to-day 
no  group  of  earnest,  thoughtful  women  can  meet 
week  by  week  and  ask  the  questions  regarding 
their  own  city  or  town  or  country  community 
without  finding  some  service  that  will  demand 
all  the  strength  of  their  hearts  and  minds.  The 
hospital  and  the  cases  of  acute  poverty  have 
always  been  open,  but  other  pressing  needs  just 
as  important  have  been  overlooked,  because 
unknown.  Let  this  group  of  women  investigate 
the  opportunities  for  homelike  comforts  offered 
to  homeless  women.  Let  them  ascertain  what 
wages  are  paid,  where  girls  in  employment 
find  rooms  and  recreation.  Let  them  determine 
what  amusements  are  really  offered  and  what 
opportunities  for  advance  in  life  are  open  to 
eager  and  earnest  girls  seeking  education. 
Let  them  ask  what  the  industrial  conditions 
are  for  children  and  girls  in  factories  and 
shops.  They  need  not  go  into  the  very  haunts  of 
sin  and  the  lowest  places  of  iniquity,  though  their 
influence  and  prayers  will  extend  over  these;  but 
where  information  is  gained,  thorough  and  exact, 
where  tasks  are  assigned  and  the  strength  of  a 
united   force  of  workers  offered,   there   will   be 

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THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

abundant  outlet  for  the  unselfish  heart.  Charity 
by  cheek  has  long  been  proven  unsatisfactory. 
It  is  the  personal  contact  that  counts.  The 
''friendly  visitor"  is  absolutely  essential  to  the 
United  Charities.  The  Christian  woman  at  the 
doorway,  beside  the  bed  of  suffering,  face  to  face 
with  the  lonely  and  the  discouraged,  heart  to 
heart  with  the  aspiring  and  the  earnest  of  her 
own  sex,  will  prove  to  them  an  angel  of  light. 
When  this  service  opens  to  her,  her  faith  will  find 
richer  interpretation  and  her  place  in  the  sister- 
hood of  those  with  whom  she  labors  will  be  richly 
appreciated. 

Social  Problems.  Every  community  has  social 
problems  which  none  but  Christian  women  can 
solve,  and  the  object  of  a  class  of  women  united 
for  the  study  of  the  Bible  should  be  to  establish 
Christian  standards  in  the  whole  community. 
The  woman,  in  the  home,  in  the  school,  in  the 
church,  and  in  social  life,  after  all,  sets  the  stand- 
ard. The  tragedy  of  life  comes  where  she  is  only 
a  pleasure-seeker  and  living  merely  for  the  luxury 
and  beauty  of  life  and  the  gratification  of  her 
aesthetic  nature.  Our  day  of  material  abundance 
offers  temptations  known  only  among  small 
groups  of  people  before  in  the  history  of  the 
world.  And  so  the  final  aim  of  the  Christian 
woman  as  a  teacher  is  not  to  give  a  little  informa- 
tion  about  the  Bible,   nor  merely  to  confirm  in 

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TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

Christian  doctrine  and  ciiurcli  allegiance  the 
group  which  she  may  gather  around  her,  but  to 
establish  through  Christian  living,  through  the 
serenity  and  attractiveness  of  her  spirit  the 
Christian  ideal  of  society.  Dr.  Luther  H.  Gulick 
says:  ''To  serve  the  community  in  ways  in 
which  she  is  the  creator  and  specialist  is  the 
end,  and  toward  this  service  the  women  of 
the  world  are  pressing,  most  of  them  uncon- 
sciously— a  few  of  them  consciously,  but  all  of 
them  inevitably.  The  deepest  need  of  woman  is 
the  need  of  being  needed.  This  is  why  she  re- 
sponds to  the  sick  or  crippled  child.  If  ever 
woman  was  needed,  she  is  to-day.  The  very  riot 
of  our  material  riches  is  the  peril  of  our  souls. 
Woman  is  already  taking  hold  of  the  present 
material  world,  giving  to  it  and  bringing  into  it 
the  love  and  service  and  spiritual  relations  which 
in  the  old  days  created  the  home  and  which  to- 
day are  changing  the  man-made  workhouse  into 
a  place  adequate  to  the  glorious  future  life  of 
human  beings." 

The  Value  of  This  Teaching.  The  cheering  fact 
is  that  vast  numbers  of  cultivated,  intelligent 
women  are  asking,  "What  is  there  worth  while 
for  me?"  They  have  been  offered  a  sphere  of 
service  as  teacher  of  the  child  and  teacher  of  the 
boy  and  girl ;  but  woman,  as  the  teacher  of  adults, 
has  not  been  offered  her  sphere  of  influence  in  the 

165 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

development  of  social  standards  and  maintenance 
of  Christian  ideals.  To-day  women  of  leisure,  of 
wide  reading,  and  careful  training  can  be  found 
in  nearly  every  community  adequate  for  these 
tasks  when  once  the  way  is  pointed  out  to  them. 
To  bring  together  in  a  true  sisterhood  for  thor- 
ough study  and  with  the  holiest  social  purposes 
large  groups  of  women,  is  worthy  of  the  most 
painstaking  endeavor.  The  woman  outside  the 
home  and  schoolroom  has  not  been  offered  service 
in  the  constructive  and  preventive  work  of 
society.  Too  often  there  has  been  no  open  door 
until  a  dramatic  appeal  of  suffering  and  disaster 
demanded  her  presence.  She  came  to  jjity  and  to 
heal,  but  too  late  to  guide  and  inspire. 

A  Practical  Instance.  The  story  of  what  one 
woman  is  doing  is  but  an  illustration  of  what 
hundreds  of  others  could  do.  Mrs.  C.  F.  Men- 
ninger  is  the  teacher  each  week  of  four  different 
classes  in  Topeka,  Kansas.  The  enrollment  of 
these  classes  all  told  this  year  is  four  hundred. 
In  the  Tuesday  night  class,  which  meets  at  the 
Young  Women's  Christian  Association  rooms, 
there  is  an  enrollment  of  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
six.  One  evening  in  December  one  hundred  and 
sixty-four  of  them  were  present.  Only  fifteen  of 
the  whole  number  are  at  home ;  all  the  rest  have 
definite  occupations.  Forty  of  them  are  public- 
school  teachers ;  as  many  more  are  stenographers. 

166 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

"They  are  fine  material  with,  which  to  work,"  says 
their  teacher,  and  adds,  ''I  do  not  see  why  more 
women  do  not  teach  women's  classes,  it  is  such 
interesting  work."  This  teacher  is  a  wife  and 
mother,  with  the  care  of  her  own  home,  and  yet 
finds  time  for  this  far-reaching  work  among  the 
women  of  her  own  city. 

FuBTHEB  Suggestions 

The  woman's  class  should  promote  extension  classes 
for  week-day  study. 

It  should  consider  the  value  of  group  work  in  which 
eight  or  ten  may  profit  by  a  closer  study  along  particu- 
lar lines. 

A  class  of  mothers  studying  the  problems  of  "child 
nature  and  child  nurture"  has  proven  valuable  in  some 
schools. 

The  class  should  have  a  list  of  non-attending  members 
enrolled  in  the  Home  Department. 

It  should  be  the  older  sister  to  one  or  more  classes 
of  girls. 

Its  success  will  depend,  in  large  measure,  upon  busi- 
nesslike organization  and  management. 

It  should  gather  with  care  a  library  of  books  regard- 
ing fields  of  social  service  for  women. 

It  should  be  active  in  promoting  women's  classes  in 
other  schools,  especially  small  schools  and  country 
schools. 

It  should  form  a  federation  of  women's  Bible  classes 
for  aggressive  work. 

The  class  should  be  on  cordial  relations  with  the 
Young  Women's  Christian  Association,  the  social  serv- 
ice workers  of  the  women's  clubs,  and  other  organiza- 

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THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

tions  of  women  working  for  the  higher  welfare  of  their 
sex. 

It  should  make  a  survey  of  particular  activities  needed 
in  definite  lines  of  social  service. 

It  should  study  the  special  rights  of  children,  aban- 
doned children,  orphanages,  and  children's  homes, 
truancy  laws,  child-labor  laws. 

It  should  study  the  child's  play  life,  playgrounds,  the 
street  life  of  children,  and  the  amusements  offered  them. 

The  big  problem — wages  of  working  girls  and  the  con- 
ditions surrounding  their  lives — should  be  of  intense 
interest. 

The  purpose  and  ideals  of  the  home  life  will  prove  of 
rich  value  in  this  class. 

The  object  of  this  class  is  to  render,  personally  and 
collectively,  definite  service  toward  a  truly  Christian 
order  of  society. 


168 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 


XV 

THE  TRAINING  OF  THE  TEACHER  OF  THE  MEN'S 
CLASS 

Men.  More  than  thirty-eight  thousand  organ- 
ized Adult  Bible  Classes  have  been  reported  at 
the  office  of  the  International  Sunday  School 
Association  during  the  last  seven  years.  There 
are  many  thousands  of  classes  besides  these; 
those  enlisted  in  the  Baraca  Movement  enroll  the 
largest  number.  The  plan  of  developing  adult 
classes  has  worked  a  marvelous  change  and,  as 
never  before,  has  carried  the  Sunday  school  into 
the  arena  of  mature  life.  When  six  thousand  men, 
carrying  Bible-class  banners,  marched  through 
the  streets  of  Harrisburg,  the  public  saw  that  it 
was  something  more  than  a  child's  school.  When 
thirteen  thousand  men  marched,  eight  abreast, 
on  the  evening  of  a  state  convention  down  the 
broad  avenues  of  Cleveland,  all  northern  Ohio 
knew  that  a  new  power  had  come  in  religious  life. 
At  a  recent  state  Sunday  school  convention  in 
Philadeli)hia  twenty-five  thousand  men  marched 
proudly  under  the  Bible-class  banner.  Stronger 
proof  of  the  readiness  of  men  for  Christian  serv- 
ice has  seldom  been  given  in  America.    The  evi- 

169 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

dence  of  marching  manhood  brings  the  fact  home 
as  no  statement  of  the  printed  page  could  reveal 
it.  The  simplicity  of  this  plan  is  very  encourag- 
ing. Each  class  is  a  club  with  five  officers  and 
three  committees.  It  is  a  little  Christian  republic, 
meeting  in  the  spirit  of  rare  comradeship.  The 
division  of  responsibility,  the  assignment  of 
definite  tasks  and  duties,  the  free  discussion,  and 
the  noble  object  inspiring  it  all,  bind  these  men 
together  in  close  fellowship.  The  club  plan  is 
attractive  to  men,  the  class  idea  far  more  attrac- 
tive to  the  teacher. 

Bible  Study.  The  second  inspiring  note  is  that 
these  men  find  the  Bible  intensely  interesting, 
and  the  study  of  it  binds  them  together  as  no 
other  course  of  instruction  has  ever  been  able  to 
do.  In  a  great  national  meeting  of  one  of  the 
church  Brotherhoods,  a  leader  from  one  of  the 
largest  cities  reported,  "No  Brotherhood  has 
failed  which  was  organized  for  Bible  study." 
What  does  this  mean  in  the  solution  of  the  teach- 
ing problems?  To  interest  men  through  the  ur- 
gency of  an  energetic  membership  committee  is 
one  thing;  to  build  up  the  class  with  a  fine  spirit 
of  friendship  is  a  splendid  accomplishment;  but 
when  we  have  gathered  these  men  and  they  are 
knit  together  in  a  group,  how  shall  we  keep  them  ? 
We  can  hold  them  only  by  giving  them  oppor- 
tunity  for   growth   in    Christian   character   and 

170 


TEACUEKtS  AND  OFFICERS 

actual  achievement.  They  expect  much;  their 
standards  for  the  church  are  high.  Many  of  them 
have  been  negligent,  yet  friendly  in  their  atti- 
tude; now  they  are  called  by  such  urgent  and 
enthusiastic  solicitations  that  they  think  some- 
thing is  about  to  be  done.  They  expect  the  teach- 
ing of  the  Bible  in  the  church,  and  this  teaching 
by  one  of  the  foremost  laymen  of  the  church  to 
mean  something  of  great  value  to  each  man's  life. 
The  whole  range  of  civic  duties,  the  burning  ques- 
tions of  reform,  the  ethics  of  business  and  the 
peculiar  temptations  they  face  in  the  active  life 
— all  these  arise  as  practical  questions.  They 
demand  in  the  teacher  the  strong  hand  of  a  leader 
and  a  definite  grasp  of  the  problems  ever  arising, 
The  search  for  truth  is  there,  frank  and  earnest. 
These  men  want  to  know  the  truth  plainly  and 
sincerely,  or  they  would  not  be  there.  For  this 
reason  the  Bible  class  must  be  more  than  a 
friendly  club;  it  must  be  religious  and  must 
regard  life  from  the  spiritual  point  of  view.  The 
prophets  and  the  evangelists  will  be  studied  with 
the  windows  open  to  factories,  workshops,  offices, 
and  voting  booths.  The  lesson  will  not  end  in 
Jerusalem,  but  will  be  brought  to  the  home  city. 
The  plumb-line  of  Amos  will  be  found  as  true  to 
the  pull  of  moral  gravity  as  when  he  held  it  to 
the  sins  of  an  ancient  city.  The  parables  of  Jesus 
will  be  found  as  true  to  life  in  modern  streets  as 

171 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

they  were  beside  a  Galilean  lake.  Bible  study 
brought  up  to  date  by  a  true  teacher  is  a  sacred 
use  of  Scripture. 

The  Practical  Man  as  Teacher.  The  professional 
man,  the  business  man,  and  the  man  with  scien- 
tific training,  have  here  their  opportunity  to 
shape  the  ideals  and  direct  the  energies  of  men. 
These  leaders  know  the  spirit  of  the  day;  they 
meet  men  on  the  street;  they  are  accustomed  to 
hard  questions  and  the  practical  aspects  of  life. 
Now,  if  such  a  man  be  a  student  of  the  Bible, 
a  man  of  positive  life,  and  have  a  brother's  heart, 
the  way  of  influence  is  open  before  him  to  mold 
the  lives  of  scores  of  men.  But  often  much  of 
this  splendid  opportunity  is  thrown  away.  The 
class  hour  is  used  rather  as  a  lecture  platform, 
or  with  loose  teaching  it  runs  to  aimless  talk 
and  rambling  discussion.  Sometimes  the  class 
suffers  from  the  pedantry  of  the  learned  teacher 
who  spends  thirty-five  or  forty  minutes  on  a  bit 
of  history  or  some  abstruse  problem.  Sometimes 
it  suffers  from  the  ignorant  teacher  who  leads 
into  doubts  and  difficulties  for  which  he  has  no 
solution  that  will  satisfy  thinking  men.  Here  is 
the  place  for  strong  men.  Such  men  as  Judges 
Hughes  and  Harlan  and  Brewster  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  and  Mr.  Bryan  and  ex -President  Harrison, 
have  been  successful  Bible-class  teachers,  and 
many  strong  men,  leaders  and  thinkers,  are  to- 

172 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

(lay  finding  an  open  door  of  influence  through  the 
Bible  class  that  has  never  been  given  them  before. 
Three  Evidences.  The  plain  teacher  becomes  a 
mighty  man,  if  he  will  but  use  the  agencies  at  his 
command — the  Bible,  his  own  Christian  expe- 
rience, and  the  facts  of  Christian  history — and 
transfer  these  into  conduct.  The  "unlearned  and 
ignorant  men,"  as  they  are  termed  in  the  book  of 
Acts,  *'who  turned  the  world  up  side  down" 
demonstrated  for  all  time  what  can  be  accom- 
plished through  these  means  by  those  trained  to 
use  them  effectively.  There  are  in  every  com- 
munity hungry  men ;  they  have  the  inborn  long- 
ing for  truth;  they  stand  on  no  solid  foundation; 
neither  heart  nor  brain  is  satisfied.  They  need 
some  closer  approach  than  the  sermon.  They 
have  questions  and  vague  doubts  and  peculiar 
personal  problems;  and  the  teacher,  in  the  free 
scope  of  class  discussion,  can  meet  these  difficul- 
ties. He  can  go  far  beyond  that :  he  can  discover, 
through  the  confidence  thus  evoked,  the  weakness 
and  lurking  hindrances  in  the  lives  of  these  men 
and  can  seek  opportunities  to  meet  them  alone 
face  to  face.  He  can  arouse  a  spirit  of  inquiry 
and  eagerness  to  know  the  truth  in  their  minds 
and  set  them  on  the  noble  quest  for  truth  in  the 
Book  that  has  guided  countless  thousands  in  the 
past.  Mr.  Charles  M.  Alexander  tells  the  story 
of  a  conversation  with  Mr.  William  Stead  in  one 

173 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

of  the  English  cities.  It  lasted  until  long  after 
midnight.  The  brilliant  London  editor  had  come 
to  study  and  report  the  revival.  He  wanted  to 
find  a  way  of  explaining  the  revival.  He  could 
not  be  content  until  he  had  a  psychology  in  mind 
that  fitted  the  whole  phenomenon  before  him. 
Mr.  Alexander  is  a  plain  man,  and  not  equipped 
for  debate  with  the  versatile  Mr.  Stead,  but  he 
simply  said,  "I  can  bring  a  hundred  men  who 
were  weak,  wrecked,  helpless  victims,  who  are 
now  clean  and  strong,  brought  out  into  this  new 
manhood  in  our  meetings  here  two  years  ago." 
It  was  the  old  reasoning  sure  and  swift,  leaping 
over  some  unbridged  gaps :  "Seeing  the  man  that 
was  healed,  they  could  say  nothing  against  it." 

The  Teacher  Should  Be  a  Student.  The  teacher 
of  the  adult  class  must  be  informed.  Men  respect 
the  teacher  who  is  prepared.  They  admire  the 
solid  and  thorough  preparation  that  brings  ten 
times  as  much  into  the  class  as  can  be  used  in 
the  hour.  The  teacher's  readiness  wins  the 
respect  that  is  given  a  minister  who  comes  to 
his  pulpit  with  a  clear,  strong  sermon,  or  the 
physician  whose  diagnosis  gives  evidence  of 
mastery  of  medicine,  or  the  business  man  who  is 
prepared  with  careful  thought  to  meet  the  prob- 
lems of  his  office.  The  teacher  must  be  a  system- 
atic student  to  meet  the  expectations  and  guide 
the    thinking    of    earnest    men.      This    does    not 

174 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

require  the  exact  and  particular  learning-  of  the 
scholar,  but  that  well-rounded  information  and 
analysis  of  the  lesson  in  hand  which  comes  only 
from  hours  of  reading  and  solid  thought.  This 
varied  information  and  wealth  of  detail  should 
all  be  held  in  check  and  the  one  main  truth  of 
the  lesson  ever  kept  in  view.  Sidelights  and  illus- 
trations are  of  value  only  as  they  illustrate  the 
one  great  theme. 

Preaching  and  Teaching.  One  trouble  with  the 
sermon  is  that  it  is  a  linished  thing.  It  reaches 
a  definite  conclusion  and  closes  the  chapter. 
That  is,  in  a  measure,  essential  to  its  very  struc- 
ture and  purpose.  But  teaching  is  conversa- 
tional; it  invites  questions.  It  does  not  aim  to 
do  a  man's  thinking  for  him,  but  the  very  reverse. 
The  preacher  satisfies  his  audience  with  a  well- 
rounded  climax.  The  teacher  thrusts  questions 
into  the  mind  to  arouse  its  activity.  The  sermon 
may  raise  many  questions,  but  they  often  die 
away,  because  there  is  no  time  for  answer.  The 
true  teacher  can  get  quick  returns,  while  the 
mind  is  stirred.  He  has  at  the  command  of  his 
lips  the  most  efi'ective  method  for  advancing 
truth  ever  used  by  a  human  being.  It  was  the 
method  of  Socrates;  it  was  the  method  of  Jesus 
and  the  early  Church ;  it  is  the  simple  method  of 
question  and  answer  in  which  personality 
touches  personalit}'  and  truth  passes  direct  from 

175 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

mind  to  mind.  The  preacher  carries  the  great 
congregations  by  the  swing  and  sweep  of  swift 
emotional  utterance,  the  rapid  rush  from  premise 
to  conclusion,  to  levels  of  thought  never  reached 
otherwise.  But  the  searching  of  hearts,  the 
insight  into  special  needs  and  the  word  fitly 
spoken,  are  the  opportunities  of  the  teacher. 
Christianity  is  not  a  philosophy,  but  a  religion. 
It  is  quick  and  powerful.  It  can  be  efifectively 
taught  only  by  a  heart  aflame  and  impressed  b}' 
burning  conviction.  Often  the  Sunday-  school 
ends  in  failure  and  the  Sunday  school  teacher's 
work  in  disaster  because  the  teaching  is  not  reli- 
gious ;  it  is  merel}'  something  about  religion.  The 
teaching  is  only  about  the  pathw^ay  of  Jesus  and 
does  not  find  a  direct  approach  to  him  for  the  liv- 
ing heart.  Teaching  from  the  soul  aglow  with 
the  faith  of  a  Christian  is  surrounded  with 
mystery.  It  begets  something  akin  to  awe  in 
the  mind  of  the  most  careless  men.  Thus  a  spirit 
of  reverence  is  developed;  the  classroom  becomes 
a  sacred  place,  and  something  holy  attaches  to 
that  hour.  The  breath  of  prayer  is  in  the  air. 
The  deep  undertone  of  manly  pleading  runs 
through  the  teaching,  and  a  sense  of  responsi- 
bility to  God  gives  dignity  to  the  plainest 
teacher's  message. 

Cultivate  the  Art  of  Winning  Men.     The  Bible 
class  is  like  an  army;  it  cannot  retain  its  spirit 

176 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

and  remain  in  camp ;  its  must  live  by  conquest. 
The  delicate  and  diliicult  question  of  personal 
work  is  one  of  the  i)roblems  ever  seeking  solution 
in  the  teacher's  mind  and  heart,  and  he  should 
strive  to  educate  the  smaller  group  of  men  who 
are  capable  of  personal  effort  in  winning  men  to 
Christ.  This  is  one  of  the  neglected  arts  in  the 
Christian  Church  to-day,  and  it  is  an  art  which 
can  be  taught  to  man}'  who  are  themselves  men  of 
prayer  and  faith ;  but  it  will  never  be  an  easy 
task.  Drummond,  who  was  a  master  in  winning 
men,  says,  "To  draw  souls  one  by  one,  to  button- 
hole them  and  steal  from  them  the  secret  of  their 
lives,  to  talk  them  clean  out  of  themselves,  to 
read  them  oft"  like  a  page  of  print,  to  pervade 
them  with  your  spiritual  essence  and  make  them 
transparent — this  is  the  spiritual  science  which 
is  so  difficult  to  acciuire  and  so  hard  to  practice." 
The  brusque  and  businesslike  approach  will  not 
avail  much,  but  the  kind,  gracious,  and  truly 
solicitous  desire  of  a  man  to  help  his  brother  man 
is  proving  the  most  effective  way  to-day  of  build- 
ing up  the  Kingdom.  A  group  of  men  capable  of 
such  service  should  be  carefully  selected  and 
brought  together  in  i)rayer  and  council.  They 
should  understand  one  another's  pur})oses  and  be 
continually  alert  \o  add  to  the  number  who  come 
to  know  Christ  as  a  t^aviour. 
Brotherhood.  This  class  must  be  a  real  brother- 
177 


THE  TKAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

hood.  There  are  numbers  of  lonely  men  every- 
where. They  look  to  the  church  for  friendship 
and  find  it  divided  in  parties  sometimes  and 
often  exceedingly  formal.  The  men's  class  should 
be  a  true  brotherhood,  with  warm  handclasp  and 
open  face  and  readiness  to  welcome  all  kinds  of 
men.  Distinctions  of  rich  and  poor,  of  learned 
and  ignorant  must  be  cast  away,  and  that  spirit 
of  the  gospel  which  astonished  and  fascinated 
the  world  in  the  first  centuries  may  permeate  this 
class  to  its  very  heart  until  it  glows  with  the 
kindliness  of  a  sincere  love  for  men.  All  social 
service  and  surveys  become  mechanical  unless 
impelled  by  the  dynamic  power  of  love.  Bible 
study  itself  may  become  mechanical,  class  organ- 
ization may  smack  of  business  ideas  and  a  greed 
for  numbers,  but  the  spirit  of  brotherhood  gives 
power  and  joy  and  is  more  attractive  to  men  than 
all  other  forces  in  teaching  or  organization. 

Diiferent  Types  of  Classes.  No  one  type  of  class 
will  satisfy  all  conditions.  The  large  class,  gath- 
ering men  several  hundred  strong,  has  a  tremen- 
dous power.  It  must  perforce  be  a  lecture  class, 
as  there  will  be  little  opportunity  for  discussion. 
Other  classes  will  do  the  most  effective  service 
by  group  work,  meeting  for  class  activities  at  a 
week  time  and  dividing  for  more  careful  study  on 
the  Sunday  hour.  Some  classes  will  find  another 
hour  than  the  time  of  the  Sunday  school  session 

178 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICEKS 

most  convenient.  If  this  be  necessary,  there 
should  be  a  close  tie  binding  it  to  the  Sunday 
school.  Some  classes  will  come  without  study 
of  the  lesson  and  the  teacher's  insistence  on  study 
would  drive  many  away.  The  teacher  must  pre- 
pare himself  to  make  the  best  of  this  hour  even 
under  these  adverse  conditions.  Other  classes 
will  come  prepared  for  vital  and  thoughtful  dis- 
cussion. In  some  classes  the  free  and  frank 
discussion  will  be  the  greatest  power,  and  the 
teacher  is  rather  a  leader  than  teacher  in  the 
ordinary  acceptance  of  the  word.  This  elasticity 
and  adaptation  to  the  needs  and  conditions  must 
be  carefully  studied  by  those  directing  the  organ- 
ization and  policy  of  men's  classes  to-day. 

The  Adult  Class  and  Social  Service.  Let  anyone 
accustomed  to  the  discussion  of  abstract  and 
doctrinal  questions  that  have  so  often  been  the 
meat  and  drink  of  the  Bible  class,  compare  them 
with  the  intense  and  informal  discussions  regard- 
ing actual  human  needs  in  the  world  which  char- 
acterize many  of  the  modern  adult  classes,  and 
he  will  see  how  eager  men  are  for  an  earnest  and 
thorough  application  of  the  gospel  to  the  needs 
of  to-day.  The  classes  of  men  and  women  now 
organized  in  such  large  number  are  entitled  to  a 
short,  clear  statement  of  the  conditions  that 
cause  unrest  and  the  proposed  remedies.  They 
should  be  invited  to  think,  and  should  be  expected 

179 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

to  do  some  work  that  will  have  a  telling  effect  for 
the  betterment  of  the  whole  social  order.  The 
attitude  of  a  hundred  earnest  men,  or  women, 
organized  to  think  and  pray,  toward  intemper- 
ance, toward  social  vice,  toward  business  dishon- 
esty is  an  immense  moral  asset.  The  atmosphere 
of  many  of  the  smaller  towns  has  been  purified 
by  the  men's  and  women's  Bible  classes.  The 
adult  class  is  one  of  the  half-developed  agencies 
of  the  Church. 

Suggestions 

With  a  teacher  trained  to  meet  his  leadership  prayer- 
fully, the  class  should  be  a  permanent  class,  built  on 
strong  foundations. 

It  should  lay  out  work  for  four  or  five  years  ahead. 

It  should  give  a  true  Christian  welcome  to  all  who 
come. 

It  should  follow  the  week-day  work  and  plans  of  its 
young  men. 

It  should  study  the  history  and  activities  of  its  own 
denomination. 

It  should  have  a  broad  outlook  upon  Christian  mis- 
sions. 

Its  committees  should  report  in  a  businesslike  way 
and  have  it  made  clear  that  they  are  expected  to  have 
something  to  report. 

Its  officers  should  perform  their  duties  with  the  busi- 
ness fidelity  and  promptness  of  a  store  or  a  bank. 

It  should  have  power  and  influence  in  the  community 
as  the  noblest  type  of  Christian  manhood  multiplied 
twenty,  fifty,  or  one  hundred  fold. 

180 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

It  should  seek  men  and  train  them  for  special  service 
in  the  home  church. 

It  should  be  the  older  brother  to  boys'  classes. 

It  should  have  an  inner  group  trained  for  personal 
effort  in  winning  men  to  Christ. 

It  should  provide  for  future  leadership  by  training 
in  careful  group  work. 

It  should  organize  classes  in  other  churches  and 
nourish  them  to  vigorous  life. 

It  should  join  in  the  federation  of  classes  for  offensive 
and  defensive  Christian  service. 

It  should  assist  or  lead  in  a  religious  census. 

This  census  should  prepare  the  way  for  surveys  in 
which  particular  lines  of  activity  needed  in  the  com- 
munity can  be  assigned  to  men  and  groups  of  men  best 
fitted  for  them. 

It  should  make  itself  felt  as  a  power  in  Christian 
citizenship;  its  voting  strength  should  tell  at  primaries 
and  elections. 

It  should  know  about  laws,  primaries,  and  elections, 
and  be  intelligent  and  aggressive  in  regard  to  the  en- 
forcement of  laws. 


181 


THE  TKAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 


XVI 
THE  TRAINING  OF  OFFICERS 

Administrative  Ability.  The  problem  of  effi- 
ciency in  the  teaching  force  of  any  school  is 
largely  a  problem  of  supervision  and  administra- 
tion. The  administrative  work  of  the  Sunday 
school  calls  for  executive  ability  of  the  highest 
order.  It  is  a  challenge  to  men  of  business  expe- 
rience to  use  their  gifts  and  training  in  a 
voluntary  service  to  the  advancement  of  the 
Church  and  its  aims.  The  organizing  brain  is 
an  essential  factor,  directing  and  supervising 
in  this  work.  One  of  the  objects  of  the  train- 
ing class  should  be  to  find  young  men  and 
women  who  have  the  native  gifts  and  begin 
their  training  for  leadership  in  the  official  duties 
of  the  Sunday  school.  ''Thousands  of  men  have 
the  qualifications  necessary  to  make  them  most 
successful  Sunday  school  superintendents,  but 
they  are  to  be  sought  out,  and  encouraged,  and 
trained,  and  assisted,  in  order  to  develop  the 
powers  that  are  within  them.  God  always  pro- 
vides workmen  to  cany  on  his  work.  If  any 
place  be  vacant,  it  is  because  the  leaders  of  the 
Church  do  not  go  into  the  market  place  and 
employ  those  who  wait  for  a  call  and  an  oppor- 
tunity"  (Vincent). 

182 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

Cooperation.  There  must  be  the  most  complete 
unity  in  the  management  of  the  Sunday  school. 
The  time  is  so  short,  the  work  must  be  done  in 
such  close  contact,  the  relations  of  the  officers 
and  teachers  are  so  open  and  yet  so  delicate,  that 
complete  understanding  is  absolutely  essential 
to  effective  service.  The  earnest  teacher  is  often 
not  appreciative  of  the  work  done  outside  the 
narrow  limits  of  the  classroom,  and  is  not  inter- 
ested in  the  activities  that  affect  the  whole  school. 
The  teacher  is  often  devoted  to  one  task  and  fails 
to  appreciate  the  importance  of  the  school  as 
related  to  the  church.  The  woman  is  frequently 
interested  in  her  own  class  of  girls  and  is  reluc- 
tant to  see  them  pass  into  a  teacher-training  class. 
The  man  who  teaches  an  adult  class  regards  its 
work  as  the  end  of  all  activity  and  fails  to  train 
workers  for  the  larger  interests  of  the  school  or 
for  the  wider  service  to  the  community.  The 
officer,  busy  with  his  own  cares,  overrides  the 
rights  of  the  classes.  The  librarian  distributes 
books  and  papers  in  the  midst  of  the  class  hour, 
regardless  of  interruption  to  the  teacher.  The 
treasurer  often  becomes  a  disturbing  influence, 
at  one  time  hurrying  about  the  school,  or  at 
another  taking  much  time  with  details  of  the 
report  which  could  be  far  better  stated  in  a  sum- 
mary, or  by  use  of  blackboard  or  chart.  No 
teacher   can   hope   to   give   the   best   service   or 

183 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

receive  the  largest  good  from  the  school  whose 
interest  and  intelligence  are  confined  to  one  corner 
of  it.  The  school  is  a  machine,  intricate  and  deli- 
cate, in  which  eveiy  cog  and  wheel  must  fi.t  per- 
fectly and  work  noiselessly  in  order  to  attain  the 
largest  result  from  the  energy  expended.  It  is 
said  that  the  first  and  most  important  five  min- 
utes connected  with  any  school  are  the  five  min- 
utes before  the  school  opens.  Much  of  the  dis- 
order arises  from  the  romping  and  playing  of  the 
children  who  have  arrived  before  the  teacher  and 
ofiQcers. 

It  is  not  uncommon  to  find  a  school  which 
loses  fifteen  minutes  of  its  time  at  the  opening, 
in  which  much  of  the  energy  is  used  after  the 
opening  hour  upon  details  of  work  which  should 
have  been  done  before.  There  should  be  no  uncer- 
tainty about  the  program  nor  about  the  duty  of 
any  officer,  and  each  teacher  should  contribute 
directly  by  readiness,  promptness,  and  reverence 
to  the  spirit  and  direction  of  the  school  as  a 
whole. 

Each  Officer  Responsible  for  His  Own  Department. 
Each  officer  of  the  school  should  be  trained  for 
his  place  with  the  conviction  that  his  particular 
work  should  be  done  with  the  accuracy  and  thor- 
oughness demanded  by  any  business  house.  This 
is  as  true  of  the  small  as  of  the  large  school. 
These  matters  may  seem  so  slight  that  the  details 

184 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

may  be  readily  iieo;leoted,  and  yet  only  with  care- 
ful attention  to  all  of  these  can  the  school  attain 
order  and  avoid  friction,  waste  of  time,  and  loss 
of  energy.  The  training  of  the  secretary,  the 
librarian,  the  treasurer,  and  the  chorister  should 
be  such  as  to  bring  them  into  complete  harmony 
with  the  working  of  each  department  of  the 
school,  and  enable  them  to  understand  the  plans 
of  the  superintendent  and  to  carry  them  out 
swiftly  and  without  interruption  of  the  time  of 
instruction  or  worship.  The  reports  of  the  school 
should  also  be  definite  and  businesslike.  Guess- 
work and  vague  estimates  do  not  comi)ort  with 
the  dignity  of  work  so  important  as  that  of  the 
Sunday  school.  "I  receive  from  my  head  secre- 
tary at  the  end  of  every  week,"  said  a  successful 
superintendent,  "a  report  as  complete  as  the  one 
I  receive  from  the  cashier  of  my  bank." 

The  School  and  its  Departments.  In  the  course 
of  training  for  teaching,  each  student  should  de- 
termine the  particular  department  in  which  he 
can  find  his  most  congenial  work  and  render  his 
highest  service.  Some  special  training  for  this 
particular  work  can  be  given  in  the  class;  some 
of  it  must  be  sought  by  the  student  outside. 
Then,  interested  in  this  one  department,  he  finds 
it  a  school  in  itself.  Though  it  be  a  small  Sun- 
day school,  with  possibly  only  two  or  three 
classes  in  a  department,   the  essential  ideal  of 

185 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

the  department  should  be  carried  out  as  com- 
pletely as  in  a  large  school.  The  superintendent's 
work  is  to  make  that  one  department  complete  in 
itself,  to  give  it  organization  and  activities  of  its 
own.  The  superintendent  who  is  a  real  leader 
directs  the  general  policy  of  the  school  and  leaves 
the  responsibility  of  each  division  and  depart- 
ment with  the  superintendent.  His  consultation 
with  them,  and  general  supervision,  is  sufficient 
to  give  unity  and  thoroughness  to  the  whole 
school,  and  department  officers  appreciate  their 
own  opportunity  for  initiative  and  independence. 
Then  the  problem  for  the  intelligent  teacher  or 
superintendent  of  the  department  is  to  relate  that 
to  the  whole  school,  so  that,  while  complete  in 
itself  and  absorbed  in  its  own  ends,  it  shall,  never- 
theless, be  a  loyal  and  harmonious  i)art  of  the 
larger  school.  This  department  may  have  its  own 
rooms  and  be  completel}'  separated,  be  able  to 
use  its  own  opening  and  closing  exercises  and 
thus  see  little  of  the  rest  of  the  school,  or  it  may 
be  separated  merely  by  a  curtain  or  screen ;  yet, 
whatever  be  the  equipment,  nothing  can  com- 
pensate for  the  loss  of  unity,  and  nothing  can 
secure  it  except  a  oneness  of  purpose  and  clear 
understanding  in  the  minds  of  teachers  and 
officers. 

Worship.     The  Sunday  school  is  unique  in  this 
respect:    it    has   a   period   of  instruction    and    a 

186 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

time  for  worship.  The  teacher  must  be  pre- 
pared to  enter  into  the  spirit  of  worship  as  intelli- 
gently as  into  the  work  for  instruction.  The  gen- 
eral exercises,  as  they  are  usually  called,  are  too 
often  conducted  with  a  lack  of  appreciation,  be 
cause  their  purpose  and  value  is  not  clear  in  the 
minds  of  teachers  and  officers.  There  is  an  im- 
pression that  it  is  necessary  to  call  the  children 
to  order  and  to  impart  good  cheer  to  all  and  pre- 
pare the  way  for  teaching  by  singing.  This  is 
often  so  lightly  considered  that  the  teachers  and 
scholars  alike  are  found  whispering  and  talking, 
removing  wraps,  and  moving  about  in  the  most 
heedless  way.  Much  of  the  singing,  as  conducted, 
is  a  waste  of  time.  It  is  either  listless  and 
formal,  to  which  but  few  pay  heed,  or  it  is  simply 
noisy  and  void  of  the  finer  religious  impression. 
The  Sunday  school  is  the  teaching  and  training 
department  of  the  Church,  and  worship  has  as 
true  a  place  here  as  in  the  public  service.  The 
appeal  for  emotional  expression  should  be  of  the 
highest  character.  The  child  is  so  responsive  to 
others  and  is  so  keenly  sensitive  to  its  surround- 
ings that  the  worship  in  the  Sunday  school  should 
be  counted  a  large  element  in  its  influence. 

The  first  thing  should  be  the  song  of  praise,  and 
the  school  with  all  its  leaders  should  join  in  this 
with  a  spirit  of  J03'  and  of  reverence.  Then 
should   follow   the  expression   of  adoration    and 

187 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

love  throngli  prayer.  No  opportunity  for  the 
culture  of  the  emotional  nature  or  expression  of 
that  deeper  mystical  religious  yearning  is  more 
important.  This  must  be  the  praise  and  prayer 
of  the  school  as  a  whole.  Unity  and  order  must 
pervade  the  assembly  that  gives  expression  of  its 
faith  and  love  to  God  in  this  hour.  The  child 
loves  mystery  and  ceremony,  and  the  sacred  and 
reverent  atmosphere,  charged  with  a  sense  of  the 
Unseen  and  Eternal,  teaches  the  most  profound 
and  significant  lesson  that  the  Sunday  school  can 
impart.  If  it  be  not  the  house  of  God,  the  place  of 
prayer,  the  time  of  praise,  the  Holy  Book  which 
the  child  finds  in  that  school,  then  something  is 
sadly  amiss.  The  inspiring  influence  of  this  hour 
must  pass  from  the  ofiicers  to  the  school,  from 
the  teachers  to  the  scholars,  and  the  preparation 
of  the  officer  for  this  hour  should  include  not  only 
the  completely  prepared  program  and  the  well- 
studied  lesson,  but  also  a  period  of  quiet  prayer 
which  enables  him  to  come  into  the  school  with 
uncovered  head  and  the  dignity  of  a  deep  reli- 
gious purpose.  These  high  standards  will  result 
from  a  thorough  study  of  the  school  as  an  organ- 
ization, and  from  prayerful  preparation  for  its 
hour  of  worship  and  instruction. 

The  Sunday  School  Council.  One  of  the  most 
important  studies  for  the  training  class  is  work 
of  the  monthly  council  of  teachers  and  officers. 

188 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

This  is  the  business  meeting  which  deals  not  only 
with  the  details  of  the  school  but  with  the  whole 
question  of  its  general  policy,  its  management, 
and  its  efficiency.  The  training  class  studying 
these  problems  prepares  each  of  its  members  for 
broader  outlook  upon  the  plans  of  the  school  and 
for  a  thorough  investigation  of  its  working  meth- 
ods. Its  members  should  approach  the  question 
of  the  individual  school  with  freshness  and  vigor 
that  will  enable  them  to  offer  many  suggestions 
and  to  assist  in  laj'ing  far-reaching  plans  for 
serious  and  successful  work.  They  are  studying 
the  Sunday  school  as  an  institution,  and  studying 
''our  school"  as  a  concrete  example.  Men  test 
educational  results  to-day  by  the  spirit  and 
methods  of  science.  The  question  to  be  written 
over  the  door  of  every  worker's  council  room  is. 
Is  Our  School  an  Efficient  Sunday  School?  The 
following  suggestions,  prepared  by  Professor 
George  A.  Coe,  could  be  studied  with  great  profit 
by  a  training  class  as  a  specimen  of  the  work 
that  should  occupy  many  meetings  of  the  workers' 
council : 
Organizotlon 

1.  What  is  the  end  we  have  in  view  in  this 

work? 

2.  Are  we  using  the  best  means  at  our  com- 

mand  to  accomplish   this?     Do   we   re- 
ceive weekly  reports  from  our  teachers? 
189 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

What  does  the  Secretary's  weekly  record 

show^ 

(a)   In  regard  to  teachers? 

(6)   In  regard  to  pupils? 

(c)  In   regard   to   organizations   within 

the  school? 

(d)  In  regard  to  special  events? 

(e)  In  regard  to  activities  and  service? 

3.  What  results  are  we  really  getting? 

4.  Have  we  a  system  of  reports  by  which  we 

can  measure  our  efficiency  as  a  business 
office  does? 

5.  What  is  the  enrollment? 

6.  Have  we  studied  the  community  by  a  care- 

ful survey? 

7.  What    plan    have    we    for    recruiting    new 

pupils  ? 

8.  How  does  average  attendance  compare  with 

enrollment? 

9.  How  does  it  ditfer  with  regard  to  ages,  de- 

partments, and  sexes? 

10.  Is  the  present  plan  for  gradation  of  our 

school  satisfactory? 

11.  Is  it  carried  out  effectively? 

12.  Have  we  an  officer  who  grades  new  pupils, 

and  assigns  them  to  classes? 

13.  Is  there  a  definite  system  of  promotion? 

14.  Is  it  used  to  promote  growth  and  interest 

throughout  the  school? 
190 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

15.  Have   we   a   follow-up   system    lor   absent 

pupils  ? 

16.  Do  we  know  what  becomes  of  pupils  who 

leave  the  school? 

17.  How  many  organized  classes — 

(a)  Intermediate  boys? 

(&)  Intermediate  girls? 

(c)  Senior   classes? 

(d)  Adult  classes? 
Instruction 

1.  Are  our  lessons  fitted  to  the  pupils  in  each 

department  ? 

2.  Is   the   equipment   adequate,   maps,   black- 

board, pictures,  etc.? 

3.  Can  the  conditions  under  which  the  teach- 

ers work  be  made  more  favorable? 

4.  Have  we  a  workers'  library?    Does  it  con- 

tain the  best  selection  of  books  for  each 
department?  How  far  do  our  teachers 
use  it?  How  many  books  regarding 
child  study  have  been  read  this  past 
year?    How  many  on  adolescence? 

5.  Do  the  pupils   receive  definite  instruction 

in  giving? 

6.  How  many  teachers  are  following  a  course 

of  study? 

7.  Have  we  a  class  of  prospective  teachers  at 

the  school  hour? 

8.  Are  the  future  teachers  chosen  and  trained 

191 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

with  regard  to  special  fitness  for  differ- 
ent departments  of  the  school? 
9.  Are  the  Senior  students  given  training  for 
Christian  service? 

10.  How   many   of    our   teachers   have   visited 

other  schools  to  observe  good  teaching? 
What  reports? 

11.  How  many  of  our  teachers  have  attended 

conventions,  institutes,  etc.? 

12.  How  many  of  our  teachers  have  attended 

training     schools     for     Sunday     school 
workers  ? 

13.  Is  there  a  definite  and  permanent  system 

for    bringing    new    pupils    into    church 
membership? 

14.  How  many  of  our  pupils  are  now  members 

of  the  church? 

15.  Is  there  wise  and  careful  attention  to  the 

spiritual  needs  of  the  younger  pupils? 
Is  this  instruction  such  as  to  prepare 
them  for  church  membership  later? 
10.  Do  our  teachers  confer  with  the  pastor  re- 
garding the  spiritual  welfare  of  the 
pupils? 

17.  Is  there  any  definite  plan  of  personal  evan- 

gelism for  winning  the  older  pupils  to 
Christ? 

18.  Is  there  any  method  of  training  them  to 

assume  Christian  duties? 
192 


TEACHERS  AND  OFEICEKS 

Worship 

1.  Does  our  school  give  intelligent  attention 

to  its  worship? 

2.  Are  the  hymns  suitable  and  worthy? 

3.  What  changes  of  program  would  improve 

the  spirit  of  reverence  and  devotion  both 
in  the  classes  and  in  the  whole  school? 
4.  Is  there  instruction  in  regard  to  prayer  and 
Scripture  reading  ? 

5.  In  cases  of  confusion  and  disorder,  how  far 

are  the  teachers  themselves  careless? 

6.  Do  our  pupils  take  active  part  in  the  wor- 

ship, or  do  they  look  on  ? 

7.  Can  we  vary  the  form  and  order  of  our  wor- 

ship to  advantage? 

8.  Is  our  worship  closely  related  to  life? 

9.  Does  it  give  proper  relation  of  thought  and 

devotion  to  the  great  days  of  the  Church? 
Is  it  related  to  the  activities  of  the  King- 
dom, missions,  charitj^,  etc.? 

10.  What  is  the  estimate  in  which  our  school 

is  held  in  the  community? 

11.  Does  it  command  the  resi)ect  and  exert  the 

influence  it  should? 

12.  What  is  the  relation  of  the  school  to  the 

church  board?  How  much  time,  atten- 
tion, supervision,  and  support  does  the 
board  bestow  upon  the  school? 

13.  Under    what    conditions    do    our    teachers 

193 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

work?  What  can  be  modified  immedi- 
ately? What  in  time  by  change  in  build- 
ing, etc.? 
To  Sum  It  All  Up:  Is  our  school  promoting  by  all 
its  agencies  a  high  type  of  Christian 
character  ? 


194 


TEACHEKS  AND  OFFICEKS 


XVII 

THE  TRAINING  OF  THE  MINISTER  FOR  THE 
SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

He  Should  Be  a  Student  of  Child  Psychology.  A 
Canadian  minister  Avas  asked  to  deliver  a  series 
of  addresses  at  a  Sunday  school  convention.  He 
had  taken  high  rank  as  a  student  in  college  and 
seminary,  and  had  made  deep  study  of  Kant  and 
German  theology.  But  this  invitation  found  him 
unprepared.  Securing  a  number  of  books  on  the 
subject  of  child  psychology,  be  made  his  prepara- 
tion. Speaking  with  scholarly  accuracy  and  prac- 
tical effect  at  the  convention,  he  told  the  story  of 
the  new  interest  that  had  come  to  him  and  said 
he  should  consider  religious  teaching  from  a  new 
standpoint  and  should  remain  a  student  of  child 
nature  all  his  life. 

The  interest  of  the  child  is  the  guide  to  educa- 
tional method.  This  is  universally  recognized  in 
the  day  schools,  but  its  application  to  religious 
teaching  cannot  be  universal  until  the  minister 
becomes  a  student  of  child  nature.  The  child's 
religious  nature  demands  its  true  culture  and 
expression  as  really  as  do  its  physical  and  mental 
powers.  The  fine  adaptability  of  Bible  truth  to 
the  child's  particular  needs,  as  well  as  the  study 

195 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

of  nature  as  the  work  of  the  Creator,  should  be 
considered  subjects  worthy  of  the  pastor's  most 
studious  attention.  He  cannot  hope  to  find  the 
entire  group  of  his  teachers  willing  to  give  the 
care  and  attain  the  insight  into  true  educational 
method,  if  they  find  no  encouragement  in  the  one 
who  stands  at  the  head  of  all  the  intellectual 
interests  of  the  church.  In  this  epoch-making 
time,  when  the  Graded  Lessons  are  offered  to  the 
school,  the  question  of  their  adoption  or  rejection 
depends  largely  upon  the  minister's  attitude. 
Many  ministers  have  rejected  them  without  read- 
ing or  investigation ;  others  have  given  the  time 
and  thought  to  find  their  value  and  to  foresee  the 
rich  educational  harvests  possible  from  such  seed- 
sowing,  and  have  prevailed  upon  reluctant  super- 
intendents and  busy  teachers  to  adopt  the  new 
lessons.  Not  only  is  it  the  minister's  relation  to 
the  Sunday  school  which  demands  a  knowledge 
of  the  psychology  of  child  life,  but  his  relation  to 
the  home  and  parental  influence  alike  require  it. 
If  those  are  right  who  are  ever  telling  us  to-day 
that  the  home  fails  to  teach  religion  as  it  did  at 
an  earlier  time,  then  there  is  reason  for  it.  It  is 
found  in  part,  no  doubt,  in  the  stress  of  the  busy 
life ;  it  is  found  also  in  the  fact  that  the  day  school 
and  the  Sunday  school  are  supposed  by  the  par- 
ents to  be  sufficient  to  relieve  them  of  the  more 
direct  reponsibility.    If  tliere  is  to  be  any  measure 

196 


TEACHEKS  AND  OFFICERS 

of  return  to  the  more  careful  religious  instruc- 
tion in  the  home,  no  influence  can  lead  to  it  more 
effectually  than  true  teaching-  from  the  pulpit. 
The  child's  religious  life,  his  hunger  for  true  reli- 
gious instruction,  his  ability  to  receive  it,  and 
some  measure  of  suggestion  regarding  what  is 
appropriate  and  fitting  should  be  taught.  How 
shall  we  expect  real  stud}^  of  ''child  nature  and 
child  nurture"  unless  the  minister  be  qualified 
as  an  instructor? 

The  Minister  Should  Be  a  Thorough  Student  of  the 
Psychology  of  Adolescence.  Often  there  is  a  wide 
gap  between  the  youth  of  the  church  and  com- 
munity and  the  minister.  His  severer  studies  have 
removed  him  from  sympathy  with  them,  while 
they,  in  the  jollity  and  eagerness  of  youth,  stand 
somewhat  aloof  from  him  as  an  austere  man. 
Were  he  a  true  student  of  the  problems  of  the 
boy  and  girl  in  the  years  of  the  teens,  were  he  to 
enter  by  a  study  of  theory  and  by  close  observa- 
tion into  the  delicate  and  taxing  problems  that 
confront  them,  he  could  often  prove  himself  a 
friend  and  counselor  and  far  oftener  a  winner  of 
souls.  His  study  of  conversion  and  all  of  the 
questions  of  religious  life  has  in  most  cases  been 
from  the  standpoint  of  an  abstract  and  dogmatic 
theology.  If  he  can  come  to  them  in  the  light  of 
modern  ])sychology  and  sociology  and  understand 
the  s])iritual  crisis  through  which  in  some  way 

J97 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

all  youth  passes^  he  will  see  new  opportunities 
and  recognize  with  fresh  hope  responsibilities 
which  he  had  associated  with  far  later  years.  The 
ministers  of  the  liturgical  churches  undoubtedly, 
through  preparation  for  confirmation,  live  much 
closer  to  young  life  than  those  of  the  Protestant 
churches  who  have  followed  a  more  indefinite 
method  and  have  waited  in  order  to  appeal  to 
reason  later. 

Eveiy  minister  desires  to  see  his  church  the 
center  of  young  life;  but  can  he  hope  to  attain 
this  if  he  fail  to  consider  the  valuable  informa- 
tion brought  by  scientific  study  and  worked  out 
by  the  most  careful  experiment  of  religious  work- 
ers within  the  last  few  years?  Both  from  the 
standpoint  of  scholarship  and  of  practical  sociol- 
ogy there  have  been  immense  gains  regarding  the 
problems  of  youth.  Over  these  the  minister 
should  ponder  long  and  pray  much. 

Familiar  with  the  Ideals  and  Organization  of  the 
Sunday  School.  The  true  minister  will  come  to 
study  his  church  work  from  the  intensive  point 
of  view  more  than  ever  before,  and  he  must  ask 
regarding  every  organization  connected  with  his 
church,  "Is  it  effective?"  "Is  it  yielding  the  best 
possible  results?"  He  must  study  it  as  care- 
fully as  the  man  in  the  press  of  business  studies 
his  oflSce  force,  or  the  manufacturer  demands  effi- 
cient machinery.    Take  the  outside  organizations 

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TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

of  the  Sunday  school  as  an  example.  The  Cradle 
Roll  may  seem  a  slight  affair  to  a  busy  minister, 
and  yet  under  the  loving  guidance  of  consecrated 
womanhood,  it  has  often  won  whole  families  to 
the  Church  and  to  Christ.  The  little  child's  hand 
opens  many  a  door  which  has  been  closed  to  all 
ministerial  knocking.  The  Home  and  Visitation 
Departments,  too,  have  been  able  to  reveal,  at  the 
slightest  expense,  many  families,  and  in  some 
cases  scores  of  individuals,  within  reach  of  the 
church,  having  preference  for  that  particular 
denomination,  whom  the  minister  himself  had 
been  unable  to  find.  It  is  the  most  economical 
and  effective  form  of  religious  census  and  has  met 
the  approval  of  leading  ministers  of  many  prom- 
inent cities. 

He  should  know  the  organization  of  the  Sun- 
day school  thoroughly.  His  superintendent  is 
often  a  very  busy  man,  frequently  without  train- 
ing in  educational  methods.  If  the  Sunday 
school  have  the  true  departmental  organization 
demanded  by  modern  educational  standards,  it 
will  often  require  the  minister's  guidance  and 
oversight.  It  will  certainly  prosper  far  better 
with  his  kindly  and  intelligent  supervision  than 
it  can  possibly  do  without  it.  Promotion  Day 
and  Decision  Day,  the  great  Easter  and  Christ- 
mas festivals  should  all  be  the  subjects  of  his 
careful  consideration.    They  not  only  promote  the 

199 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

most  vigorous  expression  of  Sunday  school  life, 
but  they  make  the  largest  appeal  to  the  com- 
munity. If  these  days  be  used  for  mere  careless 
and  spectacular  eventvS,  their  deeper  significance 
and  teaching  will,  in  a  large  measure,  be  lost. 

He  Should  Be  a  Student  of  Teaching-.  More  than 
half  of  the  teacher-training  classes  reported  to  the 
office  of  the  International  Sunday  School  Asso- 
ciation have  been  taught  by  ministers.  The 
advance  of  thorough  Bible  study  will  not  outrun 
the  work  of  the  minister.  He  must  be  its  leader. 
It  will  find  many  earnest  students  and  noble 
teachers,  but  the  minister  is  the  natural  leader, 
and  he  must  inspire  much  of  the  work.  Its  en- 
during success  will  come  from  his  enthusiasm  and 
intelligent  guidance.  For  this  end  he  must  be  a 
tireless  organizer;  for  this  he  must  labor  in  sea- 
son and  out  of  season;  for  this  he  must  learn 
teaching  as  well  as  x^reaching  methods;  for  this 
he  must  keep  pace  with  the  best  books  in  peda- 
gogy. It  will  mean  sacrifice  of  time  taken  from 
pressing  duties,  require  rare  tact  and  constant 
study  to  maintain  the  interest  of  many  of  his  stu- 
dents, but  the  rewards  will  be  ample  in  the  de- 
velopment of  love  for  the  Bible  among  his  people, 
and  he  will  find  that  with  his  increasing  skill 
there  is  a  growing  interest  in  the  Book  itself.  It 
is  said  that  the  Rev.  J.  Campbell  Morgan,  during 
two  and  a  half  years,  was  preaching  expository 

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TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

sermons  every  Sunday  evening  to  crowded  con- 
gregations in  his  London  parish  in  the  study  of 
the  book  of  Acts.  This  sustained  interest  is  a 
proof  of  the  freshness  and  vitality  of  the  Bible. 
Had  Campbell  Morgan  lectured  on  Hamlet  for 
two  years  and  a  half,  would  there  have  been  a 
crowded  audience  to  hear  the  last  lecture?  The 
Bible  is,  by  far,  the  most  interesting  book  in  the 
world,  and  the  minister  who  supplements  the 
work  of  his  pulpit  by  systematic  teaching  will 
not  only  feed  his  own  soul,  but  he  will  nurture  a 
sturdy  and  aggressive  church.  For  the  sake  of 
this,  he  can  afford  to  lay  careful  plans  for  the 
economy  of  time  and  strength  that  he  may  be 
permitted  to  be  the  teacher  of  teachers  for  his 
people. 

Ministers  in  large  numbers  are  doing  this  very 
thing  in  connection  with  successful  pastoral 
duties.  Ten  years  ago  the  State  of  Pennsylvania 
had  only  one  hundred  and  fifty  persons  taking  a 
teacher-training  course;  but  under  the  leadership 
of  the  Rev.  Charles  A.  Oliver,  of  York,  a  min- 
ister who  has  not  neglected  his  own  parish,  the 
work  has  grown  until  during  the  year  ending 
June  1,  1911,  the  State  reported  twenty-eight 
hundred  graduates.  Another  minister  in  the 
same  State  has  seen  his  own  church  constantly 
growing  in  strength  and  power,  as  he  has  taught 
year  after  year  a  training  class  for  his  teachers, 

201 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

until  the  teachers  of  the  school,  enrolling  nearly 
a  thousand,  have  all  passed  under  his  training. 

The  Class  the  Minister's  Laboratory.  Nothing 
will  bring  the  minister  in  such  vital  relation  to 
the  Sunday  school  and  all  its  problems  as  teach- 
ing itself.  Let  him  take  the  training  class,  and 
he  catches  a  far  wider  view  than  though  he  were 
teaching  an  adult  class,  because  he  has  all  the 
problems  of  specialization  in  view,  and  at  the 
same  time  he  is  ever  searching  in  the  class  for  the 
workers  to  meet  instant  needs.  Can  he  find  any 
better  preparation  for  his  pulpit  than  this  labor- 
atory or  experimental  station  for  Christian 
methods  right  in  his  own  church?  The  minister 
who  does  this  work  knows  who  teaches  religion 
among  his  children  and  his  people  and  what  is 
taught.  The  number  of  teachers  who  come  to 
the  Sunday  school  hour  unready  and  untrained 
are  in  the  minority ;  but  they  are  a  large  enough 
company  to  account  for  the  bloodless  and  feeble 
condition  in  many  a  school.  They  have  never 
been  led  by  a  strong  hand  through  the  pathway 
of  the  Scripture;  they  have  never  had  the  spirit- 
ual power  of  its  great  pages  revealed  to  them. 
They  have  heard  sermons  that  were  homilies  on 
texts,  and  they  feel  quite  helpless  in  trying  to 
grasp  the  meaning  of  a  book,  a  chapter,  or  even  a 
selected  group  of  verses.  They  read  the  lesson 
helps,  most  of  which  are  excellent,  but  lack  the 

202 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

vital  and  awakening  power  that  comes  from  the 
living  teacher.  The  minister  can  set  up  a  stand- 
ard of  high  excellence,  and  in  a  few  years  see  it 
attained  by  the  young  men  and  women  under 
his  own  tutorship.  He  is  thus  reaching  the 
inmost  life  and  thought  of  his  whole  congrega- 
tion. No  Christians  grow  so  fast,  it  is  said, 
as  Bible  teachers;  none  enter  into  sympathy 
with  the  lives  of  those  about  them  as  do  true 
teachers.  The  minister  can  best  instruct  in  the 
art  of  personal  religious  effort,  for  by  his  own 
close  contact  in  weekly  class  drill  and  instruc- 
tion, he  can  meet  the  doubts  and  difficulties  of 
his  teachers  or  of  the  prospective  teachers  and 
lead  them  out  to  clear,  rich  experiences.  In  no 
other  way  can  he  come  in  such  frequent  and 
frank  intercourse  with  the  active  leaders  of 
thought  in  his  church  as  in  a  teacher-train- 
ing class.  The  problems  about  the  Bible,  of  the 
child  life,  and  methods  of  instruction,  and  of  the 
management  and  organization  of  the  school  itself, 
are  brought  forward  for  answer,  and  the  advant- 
age in  this  respect  is  great.  The  problems  are 
right  at  hand;  they  are  not  abstract;  they  are 
intensely  concrete.  This  class  is  not  formed  to 
discuss  the  formation  of  coral  reefs,  or  the 
theories  of  astronomy,  or  the  abstractions  of 
theology,  or  even  pedagogy ;  it  meets  to  help  "our 
school."    The  problems  are  then  not  a  week  old. 

203 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

The  problems  of  adolescence  are  not  the  vague 
questions  of  psychology,  but  they  are  real  flesh 
and  blood  problems.  It  is  the  question  of  how  to 
keep  our  boys,  that  come  from  two  or  three  very 
anxious  teachers,  and  these  boys  are  tied  by  the 
heartstrings  to  the  fathers  and  mothers  and  sisters 
whom  he  is  seeking  to  help.  Theory  and  practice 
come  very  close  together  in  a  working  class  like 
this.  The  final  task  is  to  meet  the  responsibility 
of  the  teacher  and  of  the  Church  to  these  young 
lives,  for  no  one  will  ever  have  so  good  a  chance 
to  win  them  to  Christ.  At  no  other  time  will 
there  ever  be  such  an  open  door.  With  a  true 
minister  and  real  teachers,  then,  the  questions  do 
not  remain  long  in  the  cloudland;  they  soon  come 
down  in  the  form  of  actual  problems  about  deal- 
ing with  people  in  the  swiftly  flowing  stream  of 
life.  It  is  like  teaching  agriculture  on  a  farm 
at  sowing  or  harvest  time.  It  is  more  like  a  clinic 
for  busy  doctors  than  for  medical  students,  for 
even  the  prospective  teachers  are  members  of  the 
school  and  were  taught  in  its  classes  yesterday. 
They  are  to  take  up  its  work,  and  the  work  is 
awaiting  them  to-morrow,  and  is  constantly  be- 
fore their  eyes. 

The  Minister  is  the  Leader  of  the  Church.  The 
minister  is  the  authorized  and  responsible  teacher 
of  religion.  Criticism  of  ministers  and  restless- 
ness of  congregations  are  common  to-day,  yet  the 

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TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

minister  holds  a  place  of  immense  influence.  To 
him,  in  common  with  the  church,  is  intrusted 
the  religious  education  of  the  community.  Hence 
he  must  become  a  teacher  of  teachers.  Thereby 
he  does  not  lose  prestige,  but  comes  into  closer 
and  warmer  fellowship  with  the  people  as  he 
receives  the  confidence  and  gives  the  help  that 
belongs  to  a  real  instructor  in  things  of  deepest 
moment.  To  many  who  have  felt  the  joy  of  this 
sustained  effort  and  reaped  its  fruits,  this  teach- 
ing ministry-  has  become  increasingly  precious. 

A  Sunday  School  Day.  Why  should  not  the  min- 
ister give  one  day  a  week  to  his  Sunday  school? 
Let  the  forenoon  of  this  day  be  spent  in  the  study 
of  methods,  literature,  new  books,  and  the  prob- 
lems of  his  own  school.  Let  the  afternoon  be 
taken  up  with  personal  interviews  with  superin- 
tendent, officers,  and  teachers.  Many  of  the  large 
churches  are  employing  Sunday  school  pastors, 
or  educational  directors  (the  names  now  pre- 
ferred to  assistant  pastor).  But  only  the  favored 
few  can  afford  this:  the  average  minister  must 
bear  his  own  burden.  He  insists  that  he  has  no 
time  for  such  work,  but  it  is  a  question  of  invest- 
ment. "Where  can  he  put  his  time  to  the  highest 
advantage?"  must  be  every  man's  practical  ques- 
tion. "The  Sunday  school  is  the  supreme  evan- 
gelistic opportunity  of  the  Church."  Herman 
Harrell    Home  truly  says   in   his   Psychological 

205 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

Principles  of  Education:  "The  head  and  heart  of 
the  educational  work  of  the  Church  is  the  min- 
ister. Sooner  or  later  all  the  educational  move- 
ments of  his  individual  church  are  inspired  and 
directed  by  him.  In  conference  with  his  fellow- 
ministers  an  educational  policy  of  his  branch  of 
the  Christian  Church  is  determined.  Within  the 
circle  of  his  immediate  influence,  his  first  busi- 
ness is  to  organize  the  educational  work  of 
his  church  in  the  interest  of  economy  and  eJQQ- 
ciency."  Is  it  a  wise  use  of  time  to  enter  the 
open  door  of  such  opportunity?  "The  Sunday 
school  is  the  institution  where  there  is  to-day 
the  greatest  gulf  between  possibility  and  per- 
formance," said  Dr.  Faunce  in  a  recent  address. 
How  shall  we  close  this  gulf  unless  the  minister 
throw  himself  into  its  chasm?  He  cannot  do 
more  things  than  he  is  doing  now,  but  he  can 
put  first  things  first  and  leave  lesser  values 
to  secondary  time.  By  a  careful  division  of 
time  he  can  obtain  this  day,  and,  using  it,  can 
transform  his  Sunday  school  into  a  real  school 
with  true  pedagogical  methods,  with  thorough 
study  of  the  Bible,  and  with  aggressive  per- 
sonal evangelism  in  its  classes,  and  make  it  a 
complete  and  powerful  organization,  throbbing 
with  young  life  in  the  very  heart  of  the  church. 
No  man  leading  such  a  work  can  fail  in  his 
ministry. 

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TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

Suggestions 

The  teaching  function  of  the  ministry  has  been  held 
in  high  esteem  in  the  days  of  most  substantial  religious 
development. 

The  minister  can  be  a  special  counselor  to  each 
teacher. 

He  can  be  an  educational  adviser  for  each  department. 

He  can  be  an  honorary  member  of  each  class. 

He  can  be  the  friend  and  confidant  of  the  superin- 
tendent. 

He  can  receive  reports  from  teachers  month  by  month 
regarding  the  religious  interest  of  the  pupils  ol  their 
classes. 

He  can  be  on  the  outlook  for  teaching  ability  and  for 
future  leaders. 

He  can  keep  a  list  of  new  books  for  the  workers' 
library. 

He  can  report  to  training  class  observations  and  sug- 
gestions after  visits  to  schools,  conventions,  and  con- 
ferences. 

He  can  gain  close  acquaintance  with  boys  and  girls 
and  find  their  actual  ideal  of  character. 

He  can  learn  from  the  teachers  who  among  the  pupils 
are  in  special  doubt  or  difficulty,  and  who  can  be  es- 
pecially helped  by  a  frank  religious  conversation. 

He  can  learn  how  far  the  teachers  are  meeting  the 
spiritual  wants  of  the  children. 

He  can  find  who  are  strong  enough  to  lead  the  boys 
and  girls  to  Christ  by  careful  personal  work. 

He  can  guide  and  inspire  the  spirit  of  reverence  and 
joy  in  the  period  of  worship. 

He  can  make  sure  that  the  Committee  on  Education 
and  the  Workers'  Council  of  the  Sunday  school  have 
grasped  its  real  purpose  and  keep  it  steadily  and  prayer- 
fully in  view. 

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THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 


XVIII 

THE  NEXT  STEP  IN  TEACHER  TRAINING 

The  Awakened  Church.  The  Church  is  awak- 
ening to  her  new  responsibility  in  regard  to  reli- 
gious education.  Mighty  forces  have  been  com- 
bining for  this  enlightenment.  She  has  felt  the 
advancing  tides  of  education  moving  throughout 
the  civilized  world.  The  call  for  vocational  train- 
ing, the  demand  for  practical  results,  the  unrest 
in  regard  to  methods  of  modern  education  are 
voiced  in  every  magazine  and  newspaper  and  in 
every  group  of  educators.  Method  and  material 
of  education  are  challenged  from  the  kinder- 
garten to  the  graduate  courses.  The  Church  has 
felt  the  stir  and  movement  of  this  mighty  intel- 
lectual awakening,  and  is  now  aroused  and  eager 
to  respond.  The  Church  has  accepted  the  results 
of  the  scientific  study  of  child  nature  which  have 
revolutionized  educational  methods  during  the 
last  two  decades.  She  no  longer  regards  the  mind 
of  the  little  child  as  a  blank  white  tablet,  but, 
rather,  sees  in  each  little  soul  an  heir  of  the  ages, 
with  an  energy  awaiting  expression  which  will 
in  itself  determine  character.  So  she  accepts  the 
responsibility  for  the  teaching  of  the  child,  no 
longer  as  a  minor  duty  but  as  a  priceless  trust. 

208 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

Then,  again,  the  Church  faces  the  demand,  heard 
throughout  the  business  world  to-day,  for  eflS- 
ciency.  She  is  asked  to  give  an  account  of  the 
riches  at  her  command,  and  to  employ  the  talents 
in  her  keeping,  with  definite  answers  regarding 
the  wisdom  and  care  of  their  investment.  The 
good  intentions  in  use  of  money  and  time  in 
sacred  institutions  no  longer  suffice,  but,  with  all 
the  thoroughness  of  modern  business  systems,  she 
is  asked  to  give  an  account  of  her  stewardship. 
Also  the  Church  faces  to-day  a  definite  change 
of  method  in  recruiting  her  ranks.  The  revival 
methods  of  pioneer  society  and  of  simpler  condi- 
tions must  give  way  to  definite  training  and  real 
religious  education.  Moved  by  these  forces,  she 
is  impelled  to  seek  educational  leaders  and  teach- 
ers who  will  face  the  responsibility  of  the  new 
day. 

The  New  Ideals  of  Service.  The  spirit  of  modern 
democracy  asks  every  man  to  find  a  place  of 
service,  and  the  Church  can  no  longer  be  satisfied 
with  the  work  of  its  ministry  and  the  group  of 
willing  and  earnest  ones  known  as  "workers"; 
but  Christian  living  in  fellowship  with  the  entire 
community  and  a  readiness  to  help  whenever  and 
wherever  opportunity  offers  is  to  be  the  mark  of 
all  who  have  made  a  confession  of  Christ.  In 
seeking  the  highest  opportunities  for  personal 
investment,  many  talented  men  and  women  will 

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THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

find  their  richest  field  for  social  service  in  exert- 
ing a  wholesome  influence  over  childhood  and 
youth.  The  struggle  for  the  soul  of  American 
youth  is  fierce  and  wild  on  the  part  of  devotees 
of  vice  and  luxury.  In  the  face  of  such  appeals, 
the  heart  of  the  boy  can  be  won  only  by  the  type 
of  manliness  that  invites  hero-worship ;  and  the 
girl  can  be  drawn  away  from  the  fascination  of 
the  world  in  which  she  lives  to-day  only  by  the 
charm  of  a  womanliness  dowered  with  the  full 
warmth  and  beauty  of  a  Christian  soul.  The 
hardest  tasks  are  coveted.  Ten  thousand  men 
offered  themselves  for  the  perils  of  antarctic  expe- 
dition. Medical  science  continually  finds  heroes 
ready  to  make  sacrifice  of  life  for  the  saving  of 
the  hodj.  When  once  the  full  idea  that  it  is 
noble  to  serve  and  brotherly  to  help  possesses  the 
Church  to  its  very  core,  then  Christian  teaching 
will  be  relieved  of  its  littleness  and  removed  from 
its  narrow  restraints.  When  once  the  saving  of 
the  moral  life  and  the  development  of  the  spirit- 
ual nature  is  seen  in  its  true  dignity,  it  will 
appeal  as  an  heroic  task  worthy  of  any  sacrifice. 
The  bo}-  and  girl  demand  the  strongest. 

A  New  Era  of  Christian  Education.  The  work 
upon  which  the  Church  is  entering  cannot  be 
accomplished  by  the  assumption  of  a  few  more 
duties  and  the  expansion  of  existing  organiza- 
tions.    It  is  a  new  stage  in  the  development  of 

210 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

the  history  of  the  Church.  We  face  to-day  a 
dual  system  of  education.  What  has  happened? 
Has  a  calamity  fallen  upon  us,  that  the  Church 
is  asked  to  do  definite  and  thorough  work  in 
teaching  religion  to  childhood?  It  is  quite  com- 
mon to  lift  up  holy  hands  in  horror  at  the  exclu- 
sion of  religion  from  the  public  school.  Shall  we 
take  it  so,  or  regard  it  as  a  sacred  trust,  com- 
mitted to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  do  a 
definite  work  the  public  school  can  never  do?  Is 
it  not  our  mission  to  raise  up  a  stronger  genera- 
tion who  shall  be  clean  in  heart  and  clear  of  brain 
and  able  to  rule  this  world  in  righteousness? 
This  system  of  Christian  education  must  be  as 
broad  as  the  needs  of  Protestant  childhood.  Its 
teachers  must  have  the  thoroughness  and  skill 
that  will  enable  them  to  lift  their  heads  in  all 
educational  assemblies.  They  must  have  a  pa- 
tience and  earnestness  that  will  fire  them  to  stand 
among  reformers  and  missionaries  inspired  by 
the  joy  of  their  high  calling.  They  must  lift 
teaching  out  of  the  little  routine  of  a  Bible  lesson, 
and  above  satisfaction  with  the  small  technical 
methods  of  the  normal  worker  into  the  broad 
purposes  and  the  sublime  ideals  of  an  unpaid  yet 
efficient  profession.  In  completeness  of  organ- 
ization, in  freedom  of  investigation,  in  skill  in 
the  use  of  methods,  in  broad  scholarship,  and  in 
aggressive  faith,  the  Church's  system  of  religious 

211 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

education  must  be  able  to  command  universal 
respect. 

The  Basis  in  the  Local  Church.  The  system  of 
religious  education  must  find  its  roots  in  the 
individual  church.  An  aroused  religious  public 
opinion  will  give  to  the  church  a  new  esti- 
mate of  her  duty  to  the  Sunday  school.  She  will 
then  prepare  for  it  rooms  and  equipment,  give 
time,  money  and  supervision,  and  consider  the 
training  of  teachers  a  part  of  her  main  work.  In 
many  of  the  stronger  churches,  the  director  of 
religious  education  will  be  a  thoroughly  trained 
and  generously  paid  associate  to  the  minister. 
His  particular  responsibility  will  be  the  young 
life  of  the  congregation  and  community.  The 
week-day  activities  of  its  boys,  the  play  and  work 
life  of  its  girls,  the  organization  and  management 
of  the  Sunday  school,  the  training  of  its  teachers, 
and  the  expression  of  this  training  in  social  life 
and  well-being  will  be  the  field  of  a  social  and 
educational  ministry  which  w^ill  invite  the  finest 
talent. 

The  Denominational  Sunday  School  Board.  In 
the  central  organization  of  the  churches,  the  Sun- 
day School  Board  has  been  a  minor  afifair.  For- 
eign missions  and  extension  throughout  the 
frontier  have  occupied  the  attention  of  great  com- 
mittees and  have  been  conducted  under  wise  ad- 
ministration and  supported  with  liberality,  but 

212 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

the  education  of  childhood  in  religion  has  been 
considered  either  so  well  cared  for  as  to  need 
little  attention  or  of  such  slight  importance  that 
it  could  be  readily  put  aside.  The  central  man- 
agement and  leadership  in  each  denomination 
must  to-day  share  the  general  awakening  and 
make  preparation  for  the  new,  far-reaching  re- 
sponsibilities that  the  changing  times  have  thrust 
upon  them.  They  will  be  under  obligation  to  use 
their  influence  for.  the  training  and  selection  of 
professors  in  the  seminaries  and  colleges  whose 
special' duty  it  will  be  to  train  ministers  and  lay 
leaders  in  religious  education,  and  to  provide 
generously  for  field  workers  and  experts  in  reli- 
gious education  who  can  guide  and  supervise  the 
larger  movements  throughout  the  churches, 

A  Unity  of  Religious  Forces.  ''A  divided 
Church,''  said  Dr.  John  R.  Mott  recently,  "means 
a  lost  world."  There  can  be  no  successful  and 
nation-wide  system  of  religious  education  unless 
there  be  a  unity  of  the  forces  at  work.  Common 
standards,  common  purposes,  and  a  willingness 
to  work  side  by  side  with  loyalty  to  the  Master, 
are  essentials  to  victory.  The  township,  the 
county,  and  the  State  form  groups  which  have 
their  own  problems  and,  for  certain  great  ends, 
must  work  in  unison.  The  religious  poverty  of 
childhood  in  the  city  demands  a  study  of  its 
problems  and  a  leadership  of  its  forces  as  one 

21.3 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

mighty,  united  organization.  Is  it  too  much  to 
expect  that  we  shall  have  a  superintendent  of  city 
Sunday  schools,  and  that  we  shall  unite  the 
rather  loose  city  organizations  into  compact 
form  and  give  thorough  training  to  an  adequate 
number  of  teachers  and  leaders  to  meet  the  con- 
ditions of  ignorance  and  immorality?  Can  the 
country  problem  be  solved  except  through  a 
Christian  unity  in  education?  Should  not  the 
teachers  and  officers  be  brought  together  for 
training,  for  study  of  rural  problems,  and  drawn 
into  closer  fellowship  for  the  upbuilding  of 
country  life?  All  of  these  suggestions  of  united 
work  imply  a  far  larger  number  of  salaried  men 
and  women,  skilled  in  the  different  departments, 
specialists  by  fitness  and  long  training,  who  shall 
enable  each  church  to  meet  its  own  problems  and 
to  be  thoroughly  efiflcient  in  its  own  field.  But  all 
of  this  effort  will  fall  far  short  of  the  great  object, 
and  will  be  accompanied  by  loss  and  failure 
unless  these  agencies  are  federated,  for  essential 
standards  and  activities,  in  a  vital  system  of  reli- 
gious education. 

The  New  Patriotism.  The  religious  problem 
holds  the  future  of  America.  If  Christianity  fail 
here,  it  is  because  multitudes  of  men  have  played 
the  coward  in  their  Master's  sight.  Christian 
patriotism  calls  upon  strong  men.  busy  men,  the 
young    man    from   the    college,    and    the    young 

214 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

woman  of  rare  talent,  to  serve  the  Church  and  the 
nation.  There  never  was  a  time  when  such  num- 
bers of  young  people  were  asking  for  an  oppor- 
tunity to  serve,  and  when  the  appeal  for  the  un- 
selfish life  has  evoked  a  response  from  so  many 
hearts.  The  Church  has  lacked  a  stimulating 
interest  and  intellectual  breadth  in  her  appeal. 
She  has  invited  to  small  fidelities :  she  has  been 
too  much  occupied  in  saving  herself.  Now  the 
call  comes  to  make  schools  of  religion  a  mighty 
force  in  the  Church  and  a  saving  agency  in  the 
nation.  New  ranges  of  moral  energy  are  at  her 
command;  new  foes  and  difficulties  stand  on 
every  side;  but  it  is  her  duty  to  offer  a  work  so 
rich  and  varied,  so  to  breathe  the  Christian  motive 
into  everyday  life,  so  to  interpret  the  full  mes- 
sage of  the  Bible,  so  to  guide  the  social  activities 
and  instincts,  that  the  most  daring  and  eager 
spirits  will  say,  "Here  is  a  distinct  field  of  service, 
and  a  definite  mission  for  the  strongest." 

The  Outlook.  1.  More  than  sixty  theological 
seminaries  have  lectureships  or  professorships  in 
religious  psychology  and  education.  Seven  years 
ago  there  were  not  six  offering  such  instruction. 
The  minister  of  to-morrow  will  be  a  leader  in  reli- 
gious education. 

2.  There  is  marked  increase  in  the  number  of 
colleges  offering  courses  in  religious  education 
and  in  the  training  schools  for  religious  teaching. 

215 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

There  are  many  inquiries  for  teachers  qualified 
for  professorships  in  such  courses.  The  number 
specially  trained  is  not  sufficient  to  fill  these 
chairs. 

3.  Graduate  courses  in  religious  education  in 
a  few  of  the  great  universities  are  now  offered 
for  the  first  time.  From  them,  we  shall  have 
scholars  whose  study  of  the  Bible  and  of  the  psy- 
chology of  religion  and  of  child  life  will  fit  them 
to  give  this  department  its  true  rank. 

4.  The  development  of  the  denominational  Sun- 
day School  Boards  gives  promise  to  place  their 
activities  side  by  side  with  the  great  aggressive 
movements  of  the  Church. 

5.  The  periodical  Sunday  school  publications 
recognize  the  departments  of  the  school,  the 
need  for  teachers  for  each  grade  and  age,  and 
offer  scholarly,  practical  help  far  in  advance  of 
the  material  seen  upon  their  pages  five  years  ago. 

6.  The  response  to  the  Graded  Lessons  has 
evoked  the  sympathetic  cooperation  of  many 
trained  teachers  from  public  schools  and  colleges ; 
and  these  lessons  are  revealing  to  the  thoughtful 
teachers  new  possibilities  in  religious  teaching. 

7.  Textbooks  and  reference  books  for  Sunday 
school  workers  are  coming  from  the  press  almost 
daily,  and  many  of  them  reveal  a  scholarly  study 
of  child  nature  and  practical  skill  in  methods  of 
teaching. 

216 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

8.  The  number  of  employed  workers  in  the 
denominational  and  interdenominational  fields  is 
increasing  rapidly.  The  salaries  and  the  dignity 
accorded  them  in  their  work  now  give  them  rank 
with  the  secretaries  and  field  workers  of  the 
boards  of  the  great  benevolent  organizations. 
Here  too  the  educational  demand  is  insistent. 

9.  The  conventions  and  institutes  of  the  Sun- 
day school  are  attended  by  larger  numbers  than 
ever  before,  and  these  conventions  are  passing 
from  the  insj)irational  to  the  educational  type. 
Many  of  them  are  really  schools  of  methods,  in 
which  help  is  offered  by  experts  for  each  depart- 
ment of  the  Sunday  school. 

10.  The  city  training  schools  in  many  cities 
are  calling  together  scores  of  teachers  and 
officers,  where  the  study  of  the  latest  textbooks, 
with  reference  reading,  is  pursued  under  compe- 
tent teachers,  and  the  teachers  of  the  city  are  of- 
fered training  in  the  special  departments  and 
advanced  studies. 

11.  In  several  cities  a  university  extension  type 
of  work  has  been  established,  where  teachers  of 
training  classes  and  other  studious  teachers  may 
receive  instruction  by  lecturers  from  the  univers- 
ities and  seminaries. 

12.  The  interdenominational  organizations  for 
the  promotion  of  religious  education  in  the  estab- 
lishment of  standards  and  in  the  advancement  of 

217 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

the  Sunday  school  as  an  institution  are  moving 
forward  with  great  success  in  a  united  purpose. 
The  work  was  never  so  vigorous  as  now. 

(a)  The  American  Sunday  School  Union  con- 
tinues its  missionary  activity  in  the  establish- 
ment of  Sunday  schools  in  needy  places,  and  is 
now  becoming  active  in  the  training  of  teachers 
for  the  country  Sunday  school. 

(&)  The  Religious  Education  Association, 
through  its  conventions,  its  Journal,  and  reports 
of  commissions,  is  exerting  a  great  influence  in 
the  advancement  of  standards  and  in  the  promo- 
tion of  ideals  for  the  Sunday  school. 

(c)  The  International  Sunday  School  Associa- 
tion, working  through  the  State  Associations, 
with  more  than  two  hundred  salaried  officers  and 
thousands  of  volunteer  workers,  continues  its 
success  as  an  inspirational  and  promoting 
agency.  It  is  advancing  the  standard  for  graded 
instruction  and  efficient  teaching  with  increasing 
earnestness. 

(cZ)  The  Sunday  School  Council  of  Evangelical 
Denominations  unites  the  officers  of  the  Sunday 
school  boards  of  more  than  thirty  churches,  and 
its  great  aims  are  a  better  literature,  more  thor- 
ough teaching,  and  more  efficient  organization. 
It  presents  a  fine  ideal  of  religious  team  work. 

All  of  these  forces  are  dominated  by  a  deep 
conviction  and  are  moving  toward  a  common  end. 

218 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

The  teaching  of  the  Bible  and  the  religious  cul- 
ture of  the  child,  through  the  home  and  the  Sun- 
day school,  must  take  its  place  as  the  supplement 
and  crown  of  the  educational  energies  of  the  age, 
in  the  making  of  character. 


219 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 


APPENDIX 

LIST  OF  BOOKS  APPROVED  BY  INTERNATIONAL 
COMMITTEE  ON  EDUCATION 

First  Standard  Course 

Associate  Reformed  Presbyterian  Church.  Prepara- 
tion for  Teaching,  by  Charles  A.  OHver. 

Baptist  Churches.  Baptist  Teacher-Training  Manual. 
H.  T.  Musselman.  Published  by  the  American  Baptist 
Publication  Society,  Philadelphia,  Pa.  Cloth,  50  cents; 
paper,  35  cents. 

Canadian  Churches.  Canadian  First  Standard  Teacher- 
Training  Course.  Published  by  Wilham  Briggs,  Toronto, 
Ontario.  Five  booklets,  5  cents  each.  Chosen  for  use  by  the 
Baptist  Churches,  EvangeUcal  Association,  Methodist,  and 
Presbyterian  Churches  in  Canada. 

Congregational  Churches.  Pilgrim  Preparatory  Course, 
published  by  the  Pilgrim  Press,  Boston.  Price,  50  cents  per 
volume. 

Talks  with  the  Training  Class.    Slattery. 

Biographical  Studies  in  the  Bible.  Three  volumes.  Sidney 
and  Anna  Strong. 

The  History  of  the  Bible.    Mutch. 

The  Teacher  That  Teaches.    Wells. 

The  Guide  to  Teachers  of  Training  Classes.  Slattery. 
(For  the  class  teacher.) 

Church  of  the  Brethren.    Training  Course. 

Churches  of  Christ  (Disciples).  Training  for  Service. 
Herbert  Moninger.  Published  by  the  Standard  PubUshing 
Company,  Cincinnati,  O.    Cloth,  50  cents;  manila,  30  cents. 

Teacher  Training  Handbook.  Shepherd  and  Stevenson. 
220 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

Published   by   the   Christian   Board   of   PubUcation,   Saint 
Louis,  Mo.    Manila,  25  cents. 

Free  Methodist  Church.  Course  in  two  volumes. 
Handbook  for  Sunday  School  Workers,  by  W.  B.  Ohnstead, 
and  The  Pupil  and  How  to  Teach  Him,  by  E.  G.  Burritt. 
PubUshed  by  W.  B.  Rose,  Chicago.  Price,  50  cents  per 
volume. 

German  Evangelical  Synod  of  North  America.  Vor- 
bereitungskursus  fiir  Sonntagschullehrer.  PubUshed  by  the 
Eden  PubUshing  House,  Saint  Louis  and  Chicago.  Three 
volumes. 

Lutheran  Course.  Special  edition  of  Preparation  for 
Teaching,  by  Oliver,  adapted  to  the  needs  of  Lutheran 
teachers.  Published  by  the  Lutheran  PubUcation  Society, 
Philadelphia,  Pa.    Cloth,  40  cents;  paper,  25  cents. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  The  Worker  and  His 
Work  Series.  Six  courses  by  correspondence  for  Sunday 
School  workers — Elementary,  Junior,  Intermediate,  Senior, 
Adult,  and  Superintendent.  Each  course  covers  three  books. 
PubUshed  by  The  Board  of  Sunday  Schools,  1018-24  S. 
Wabash  Avenue,  Chicago.  Correspondence  study  is  also 
offered  by  the  Board  in  Elementary,  Secondary,  and  Adult 
Division  SpeciaUzation. 

Teacher  Training  Lessons  for  the  Sunday  School.  Jesse 
Lyman  Hurlbut.  PubUshed  by  The  Methodist  Book  Con- 
cern, New  York,  Cincinnati,  and  Chicago.  Cloth,  50  cents; 
paper,  35  cents. 

First  Standard  Manual  of  Teacher  Training.  Barclay. 
PubUshed  by  The  Methodist  Book  Concern,  New  York, 
Cincinnati,  and  Chicago.    Price,  cloth,  50  cents. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South.  Revised  Legion 
of  Honor.  H.  M.  HamiU.  Published  by  W.  B.  Jacobs 
8  South  Dearborn  Street,  Chicago.  Cloth,  40  cents;  manila, 
25  cents. 

221 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

Methodist  Protestant  Church.  Training  the  Teacher. 
A.  F.  Schauffler,  A.  A.  Lamoreaux,  Martin  G.  Brumbaugh 
and  Marion  Lawrance.  Published  by  The  Sunday  School 
Times  Company,  Philadelphia,  Pa.    Cloth,  50  cents. 

Presbyterian  Church,  U.  S.  A.  Preparation  for  Teach- 
ing. Charles  A.  OUver.  Published  by  the  Westminster 
Press,  Philadelphia,  Pa.    Cloth,  40  cents;  paper,  25  cents. 

Presbjrterian  Church,  U.  S.  The  Westminster  Standard 
Teacher  Training  Course.  A.  L.  PhilUps.  PubUshed  by  the 
Presbyterian  Committee  of  Pubhcation,  Richmond,  Va. 
Price,  25  cents. 

Protestant  Episcopal  Church.  Sunday  School  Teach- 
ing. William  Walter  Smith.  PubUshed  by  Young  Church- 
man Co.,  Milwaukee,  Wis.  Manila,  50  cents;  or  The  Ele- 
ments of  Child  Study  and  Sunday  School  Pedagogy.  W.  W. 
Smith.  75  cents.  (In  preparation.)  (Cover  sections  of  the 
Pupil,  the  Teacher,  and  the  School.  Selections  of  Bible 
work  may  be  made  from  any  approved  course.) 

Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States.  Preparation 
for  Teaching.  Oliver.  Published  by  the  Westminster  Press. 
Philadelphia,  Pa.    Cloth,  40  cents;  paper,  25  cents. 

United  Brethren.  This  Church  recognizes  any  approved 
course,  but  recommends  its  students  to  make  choice  from 
one  of  the  following:  Training  the  Teacher,  Schauffler, 
Lamoreaux,  Brumbaugh,  and  Lawrance;  Teacher  Training 
Lessons  for  the  Sunday  School,  Hurlbut;  or  Training  for 
Service,  Moninger. 

United  Presbjrterian  Churches.  Teacher-Training 
Manual.  W.  B.  Smiley.  In  two  parts:  First  part  oovering 
the  Scriptm-es.  Price,  20  cents;  second  part  covering  the 
Pupil,  the  Teacher,  and  the  School.  Published  by  The 
United  Presbyterian  Board  of  Publications,  Pittsbiirgh,  Pa. 


Evangel   First   Standard   Course.      Published   by   F.   M 
Barton  Company,  Cleveland,  O.    Price,  35  cents. 

222 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

Advanced  Standard  Course 

Baptist  Churches.  The  regular  Teacher-Training  Course, 
pubUshed  by  the  Griffith  &  Rowland  Press,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

The  Sunday  School  Teacher's  Bible.  Price,  40  cents  and 
25  cents. 

The  Sunday  School  Teacher's  Pupil.  Price,  40  cents  and 
25  cents. 

The  Sunday  School  Teacher's  Pedagogy.  Price,  40  cents 
and  25  cents. 

The  Sunday  School  Teacher's  School.  Price,  40  cents  and 
25  cents. 

Missionary  Methods  for  Sunday  School  Workers.     Trull. 

50  cents. 

The  Early  Church.    Conley.    50  cents. 

Baptist  Churches  of  the  South.  Both  First  and  Ad- 
vanced courses  are  in  use  by  this  Church,  the  textbooks  for 
which  have  been  carefully  selected  by  recognized  experts  of 
the  Church.  No  official  report,  however,  has  been  made  to 
the  office  of  the  International  Teacher  Training  Superin- 
tendent. 

Baptist  Churches  in  Canada.  Course  pubUshed  by  R. 
Douglas  Fraser,  Toronto,  Ontario.    Price,  10  cents  each. 

The  Books  of  the  Old  Testament.    Scrimger. 

The  Life  and  Times  of  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Falconer 
and  Ballantyne. 

A  Summary  of  Christian  Doctrine.    Kilpatrick. 

From  One  to  Twenty-One.    Murray. 

The  Teacher  and  the  School.    Tracy. 

Books  of  the  New  Testament.    Kennedy. 

Missions.     Mackay. 

Chvirch  History.     Falconer. 

Churches  of  Christ  (Disciples).  Course  published  by 
the  Standard  Publishing  Company,  Cincinnati,  O. 

223 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

First  Year: 

A  Bible  School  Vision.    Welshimer. 

Common  Sense.    Thornton. 

From  Eden  to  Jordan.    Medbury. 
Second  Year: 

From  Jordan  to  the  Throne  of  Saul.    Medbury. 

From  the  Throne  of  Saul  to  Bethlehem.    Medbury. 

The  New  Testament  Chm-ch.    Moninger. 
Third  Year: 

Epistles  and  Revelation.    Taylor. 

Missionary  Mountain  Peaks.    Vol.  I.    Paul. 

Missionary  Mountain  Peaks.  Vol.  II.  Paul.  (In  prepara- 
tion.) 

Price,  each,  cloth,  50  cents;  manila,  30  cents,  postpaid. 

In  lots,  not  postpaid,  each,  cloth,  40  cents;  manila,  25  cents. 

Course  published  by  the  Christian  Board  of  Publications, 
Saint  Louis,  Mo.    Cloth,  50  cents;  paper,  25  cents. 

Studies  in  the  Books  of  the  Bible.    Stevenson. 

Psychology  in  ReUgious  Culture  in  the  Modern  Sunday 
School.    Shepherd.     (In  preparation.) 

ReUgious  Pedagogy  in  the  Modern  Sunday  School.  Shep- 
herd. 

The  Modern  Sunday  School.    Pearce.    (In  preparation.) 

Missions  in  the  Modern  Sunday  School.    Corey. 

Church  History  in  the  Modem  Sunday  School.    Coleman. 

Christian  Doctrine  in  the  Modern  Sunday  School.  (In 
preparation.) 

Christian  Churches.  Course  published  by  J.  O.  Atkin- 
son, Publishing  Agent,  Southern  Christian  Convention,  Elon 
CoUege,  N.  C. 

Preparing  the  Teacher.    In  two  volumes. 

Congregational    Churches.      Plans    for    an    advanced 
course  are  under  consideration  by  the  Congregational  Board. 
Lutheran  Teacher  Training  Series.     Published  by  the 
224 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

Lutheran  Publication  Society,  Philadelphia,  Pa.  Price,  per 
volume,  cloth,  50  cents;  paper,  35  cents. 

Book  1.  The  Book  and  the  Message.  Alleman  and 
Dunbar. 

Book  2.     The  Pupil  and  the  Teacher.    Weigle. 

Book  3.     The  School  and  the  Church.     (In  preparation.) 

Book  4.  The  Lutheran  Church  and  Child  Nurture. 
Smith. 

(Books  covering  Missions  and  Church  History  to  be  pre- 
pared later.) 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  PubUshed  by  The  Meth- 
odist Book  Concern,  New  York,  Cincinnati,  and  Chicago. 

The  Worker  and  His  Bible.  Eiselen  and  Barclay.  55  cents, 
postpaid. 

Elements  of  ReUgious  Pedagogy.  Pattee.  83  cents,  post- 
paid. 

The  Graded  Sunday  School.    Meyer.    75  cents. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South.  Course  pub- 
hshed  by  Smith  &  Lamar,  Nashville,  Tenn.  Price,  $L70  for 
entire  course,  in  cloth. 

The  Bible  and  Its  Books.    Hamill. 

The  Sunday  School  Teacher.    Hamill. 

The  Organized  Sunday  School.    Axtell. 

The  Sunday  School  Pupil.    Musselman. 

Manual  of  Southern  Methodism.  (Covers  Church  History 
and  Missions.) 

Methodist  Protestant  Church.  An  Advanced  Standard 
course  for  this  Church  is  being  prepared  and  will  be  issued 
in  the  near  future  by  the  Board. 

Presbyterian  Church,  U.  S.  A.  Westminster  Advanced 
course.  Books  can  be  procured  from  any  depository  of  the 
Presbyterian  Board.  Main  office,  Witherspoon  Building, 
Philadelphia,  Pa. 

225 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

The  Old  Testament  and  Its  Contents.  Robertson.  Cloth, 
40  cents;  paper,  25  cents. 

The  New  Testament  and  Its  Writers.  M'Clymont.  Cloth, 
40  cents;  paper,  25  cents. 

The  Pupil  and  the  Teacher.  Weigle.  Cloth,  50  cents; 
paper,  35  cents. 

Landmarks  of  Church  History.  Cowan.  Cloth,  40  cents; 
paper,  25  cents. 

Missionary  Methods  for  Sunday  School  Workers.  Trull. 
50  cents. 

The  Organized  Sunday  School.    Axtell.    Cloth,  50  cents. 

(Other  books  alternative  to  these  will  be  announced  later.) 

Presbyterian  Church,  U.  S.  Books  for  sale  by  the 
Presbyterian  Committee  of  Publication,  Richmond,  Va. 

History  of  the  English  Bible.    Thomson.    20  cents. 

Bible  Study  by  Books.  Sell.  Cloth,  60  cents;  paper,  35 
cents. 

The  Teacher  and  the  Child.    Mark.     75  cents. 

Studies  for  Personal  Workers.    Johnston.    66  cents. 

Bible  Study  by  Periods.  Sell.  Cloth,  60  cents;  paper,  35 
cents. 

Seven  Laws  of  Teaching.    Gregory.    50  cents. 

The  Organized  Sunday  School.    Axtell.    50  cents. 

Bible  Study  by  Doctrines.  Sell.  Cloth,  50  cents;  paper, 
25  cents. 

Landmarks  of  Church  History.    Cowan.    40  cents. 

Missionary  Methods  for  Sunday  School  Workers.  Trull. 
50  cents. 

Presbyterian  Churches  in  Canada.  Course  pubUshed 
by  R.  Douglas  Fraser,  Toronto,  Ontario.  Price,  10  cents 
each. 

The  Books  of  the  Old  Testament.    Scrimger. 

The  Life  and  Times  of  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Falconer 
and  Ballantyne. 

226 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

A  Summary  of  Christian  Doctrine.    Kilpatrick. 

From  One  to  Twenty-One.    Murray. 

The  Teacher  and  the  School.    Tracy. 

Books  of  the  New  Testament.    Kennedy. 

Missions.     Mackay. 

Church  History.    James  W.  Falconer. 

Protestant  Episcopal  Church.  ReUgious  Education. 
W.  W.  Smith.  Published  by  Young  Churchman  Co.,  Mil- 
waukee, Wis.  (covers  sections  of  the  Pupil,  the  Teacher,  and 
the  School);  also  The  Sunday  School  of  To-day.  W.  W. 
Smith.  Pubhshed  by  F.  H.  Revell  Company,  New  York 
and  Chicago.    $1.25.    (Other  subjects  to  be  selected.) 

Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States.  Advanced 
Heidelberg  Teacher  Training  Course.  Pubhshed  by  the 
Publication  and  Sunday  School  Board  of  the  Reformed 
Church  in  the  United  States,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Vol.  I.  Outhne  Studies  on  the  Bible.  Part  1.  The  Old 
Testament  (in  preparation);  Part  2.  The  New  Testament 
(now  ready).    W.  C.  Schaeffer. 

Vol.  II.  OutUne  Studies  on  the  Sunday  School  and  Sunday 
School  Pedagogy.    (In  preparation.) 

Vol.  III.  Outline  Studies  on  the  Chvu-ch,  Including  Ten 
Lessons  on  Missions.    (In  preparation.) 

United  Brethren.  Books  can  be  procured  through  the 
Denominational  Secretary,  Colonel  Robert  Cowden,  Day- 
ton, O. 

The  Old  Testament  and  Its  Contents.  Robertson.  40 
cents. 

The  New  Testament  and  Its  Writers.  M'Clymont.  40 
cents. 

The  Sunday  School  Teacher.    Hamill.    50  cents. 

From  One  to  Twenty-One.    Murray. 

The  Origin  and  Expansion  of  the  Sunday  School.  Tnmi- 
bull.    30  cents. 

227 


THE  TRAINING  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOL 

How  to  Conduct  a  Sunday  School.    Lawrance.    $1.25. 
Landmarks  of  Church  History.    Cowan.    40  cents. 
Handbook  of  the  United  Brethren  in  Christ.    Shuey. 
(Book  on  Missions  to  be  selected.) 

United  Presbyterian  Churches.     Advanced  course  will 
be  announced  soon  by  the  Board. 


The  following  is  a  hst  of  Advanced  Course  books  approved 
by  the  Committee  on  Education  which  are  not  mentioned  in 
any  Denominational  course.  Each  book  meets  the  require- 
ments of  study  in  its  section. 

Outline  Studies  in  the  Old  Testament.  Hurlbut.  40  cents 
and  25  cents. 

Analytical  OutUnes  of  the  Old  Testament.    Haig. 

Normal  Class  Manual  of  Old  Testament  History.  Good- 
rich.   50  cents. 

Great  Teachers  of  Christianity  and  Judaism.  Kent. 
75  cents. 

OutUne  Studies  in  the  New  Testament.  Hurlbut.  40  cents 
and  25  cents. 

Books  of  the  Bible.     Hazard  and  Fowler.     50  cents. 

The  Unfolding  Life.     Lamoreaux.     75  cents. 

A  Primer  on  Teaching.     Adams.     20  cents. 

The  Making  of  a  Teacher.     Brumbaugh.     $1.00. 

The  Modern  Sunday  School  in  Principle  and  Practice. 
Cope.    $1.00. 

The  Model  Sunday  School.  Boynton.  50  cents  and  30  cents. 

The  Teaching  of  Bible  Classes.  See.  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Press, 
New  York. 

The  Efficient  Layman.  Cope.  Philadelphia.  $1.00.  (To 
be  used  in  connection  with  other  text-books  on  Sunday 
School  Organization  and  Management.) 

A  Short  History  of  the  Christian  Church.    Moncrief.  $1.50. 

Outlines  of  the  Life  of  Christ .    Worden  and  Haig. 
228 


TEACHERS  AND  OFFICERS 

Sunday  School  Experience.    Henry  Edward  Trallc. 
Sunday  School  of  To-day.    William  Walter  Smith.    $1.25. 


The  Evangel  Advanced  Standard  Teacher  Training  Course. 
PubUshed  by  F.  M.  Barton  Company,  Cleveland,  O.  Price, 
$1.00  for  entire  course. 

The  Books  of  the  Old  Testament.    Scrimger. 

The  Books  of  the  New  Testament.    Kennedy. 

The  Life  and  Times  of  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Falconer 
and  Ballantyne. 

From  One  to  Twenty-One.    Murray. 

Sowing  the  Seed.    Tracy. 

Sabbath  School  Methods.    Tracy,  Fergusson,  and  Knapp. 

Conquests  of  the  Cross.    Wilson. 

Winning  the  World.    Wilson. 

ADDITIONAL  BOOKS— RECOMMENDED 
BY  AUTHOR 

Elementary 
Fundamentals  of  Child  Study.     Kirkpatrick.     $1.25. 
The  Dawn  of  Character.     Mumford.     $1.25. 
The  Training  of  Children  in  Rehgion.     Hodges.     $1.50. 
The  Child  in  His  World.     Chamberlin  and  Kern.     $1.00 

Secondary 
Youth.     Hall.     $1.50. 

The  Spirit  of  Youth  and  the  City  Streets.  Jane  Addams. 
50  cents. 

Youth  and  The  Race.     Swift.     $1.25. 

Moral  Education.     Griggs.     $1.00. 

The  Boy  and  The  Sunday  School.     Alexander.     $1.00. 

The  Girl  and  Her  Religion.     Slattery.     $1.00. 

Adult 
Education  in  Religion  and  Morals.     Coe.     $1.35. 
Social  Service:  Men  and  Religion  Messages.     $1.00. 
229 


TRAINING  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  TEACHERS 

Social  Creed  of  the  Churches.     Ward. 
Christianizing  the  SociaJ  Order.     Walter  Rauschenbusch. 
$1.25. 
Higgins,  A  Man's  Christian.     Norman  Duncan. 
A  Man's  Religion.     McDowell.     50  cents. 

Teacher    Training 

The  Making  of  Character.     MacCunn.     SI. 25. 

Use  of  the  Bible  in  the  Education  of  the  Young.  Raymont. 
$1.50. 

The  Bible  as  EngUsh  Literature.     Gardner.     $1.50. 

Biblical  Geography  and  History.     Kent.     $1.00. 

Landmarks  of  Church  History.     Rowe.     75  cents. 

The  Conquering  Christ  (Study  of  Missions).  Boone. 
76  cents. 

Human  Behavior.     Colvin  and  Bagley.     $1.00. 

The  Genetic  Philosophy  of  Education.     Partridge.     $1.50. 

Worship  in  the  Sunday  School.     Hartshorne.     $1.25. 

The  Teaching  Process.     Strayer.     $1.25. 

How  to  Study  and  Teaching  How  to  Study.  McMurry. 
$1.25. 

The  Sunday  School  At  Work.  Edited  by  John  T.  Faris. 
$1.25. 

Talks  to  Teachers.     James.     $1.50. 

The  Unfolding  of  Personality.     Mark.     $1.00. 

These  books  may  be  procured  from  your  denominational 
pubhsher  or  bookseller. 


230 


Date  Due 

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